Between the Two of Us
by CornflowerBlue
Summary: Yankumi always thought that everything would be normal between them. She was his teacher, Shin her student. She always believed she was in love with Shinohara, but now... Nothing could be more confusing! Ch15:Resolutions, is up! PlsR&R!
1. Prologue

**Ohkay, this is my very first Gokusen fic so please don't chew me too much if I don't get all the details right. This takes place during their last year in Shirokin high. This story is totally manga based, by the way. There are some spoilers in the future chapters. Don't say I didn't warn yah!**

**Disclaimer: Gokusen ain't mine. If it were, I'd be a genius (ah...Morimoto is a genius). As i'm not, I'll just be my meager own self. **

**And so...here is the first chapter! Please read and review!**

**

* * *

**

**Between the Two of Us**

**Prologue**

The morning seemed perfectly normal to Yamaguchi Kumiko. As usual, she woke up from bed with hair all in distinct disarray, stretched a little, mumbled something about last night's episode of the _Wife of Yakuza_, and took a ridiculously long bath. By the time she finished, she realized that she had hardly enough time to catch the bus, let alone to eat.After much ruckus, after chewing Tetsu for making light out of her panicky state, after Kyou-san chewed _both_ Tetsu and Minoru for Tetsu's joke, and grumbling about no one waking her up, the only heir of the Kurudo clan left the house in a sprint.

As usual, she arrived at the school at almost the same time the bell rang. In the office, there were the everyday chatters of Fujiyama about her male chorus club while the other teachers shook their heads over student troubles here and there. While they talked, Kumiko played her part as the normal high school rookie, and though there would be occasional outbursts as she would break into yakuza slang now and then, everyone would simply attribute it to her fondness of movies.

Later in the day, she would go up the rooftop to fetch a dozing Shin, and typically end up chatting with him about her family, some problems that would eventually be dealt with, ideals, and even wrestling magazines. She was unwary of her student's attentiveness under his bored facade as he held onto her every word and movement. Naturally, she would suddenly jump up and remember being late for her next class and blame it on Shin for not attending. With a wry smile on his face, the redhead would murmur a small "Baka" before standing up to follow her.

It was especially normal that Class 3-4 paid hardly any attention to her as she walked into the classroom. Sure, they already have her in regard (somewhat), but that didn't stop them from being disruptive and rowdy. And of course, Yankumi remains jolly until her patience would "accidentally" snap. When she gets into her fits, the class would remain ominously quiet and nervous until Ucchi or Minami, or somebody as equally nutty cracks a joke and the noise would begin all over again. _Again_, she is fully unaware of the brooding look Shin gave her, but then again, it wouldn't be a normal day if she suddenly loses her denseness.

Yes, it seemed like a perfectly normal day.

Almost.

* * *

**Tomatoes?**

**Or is it potatoes?**

**Should I go on...or should I not?**

**Your review is very much appreciated...**


	2. Walking Home

**Thank you very much for the reviews! They all really brightened up my day. Yes, the next chapters will be longer (though this one isn't too long). **

**Special mention to Kawaii Selene. If it weren't for her, I still wouldn't know that my anonymous reviews are disabled. It's okay now! All anonymous reviews are welcome in my page! Arigatooooo!**

**Disclaimer: **

**My10315:** Oh, seriously Morimoto-kun, do I have to do this?

**Morimoto:** Of course you have to! And don't you "kun" me,I don't even _know _you!

**My10315:** You're cruel. Alright. Gokusen and all the characters are yours. You're a genius. I don't need some rubbing!

**Morimoto:** (nodding importantly) Yes, I am a genius.

**My10315:** (dancing around like a maniac) Haha, but this story is mine! All mine! Fwahahaha!

**Morimoto:** AH, just SHUT the HELL UP and get ON with it!

**My10315:** (blowing raspberries) Killjoy!

**Ahem, and so, with no more further ado, here is the second chappie! Please R&R!**

**

* * *

**

**Walking Home**

Yankumi gave a very loud sigh and smiled to herself. Another day was over. That meant that Day 48 of this semester was done, and a good 149 days were left before graduation. Pride for her students overwhelmed her accompanied by a sting of loneliness. They'll be leaving her soon to take on anything the world has to offer. Even then, she would still make sure that they have her support. And if someone makes a move to hurt 'em…well…

_I'll take 'em out. _And she pictured her students' future offenders cowering and shrieking before her. The corner of her mouth twitched into an evil smile. _Oooh…not bad. _With effort, she shook her head to force the sadistic ideas away.

Walking out of the gate, she saw the retreating backs of her students and gave an undignified sniff. She'll miss them all for sure when they finally leave her!

"Getting sentimental again?" The teacher almost jumped in surprise as the familiar voice interrupted her thoughts. As true as day, there stood her redheaded student with a hint of amusement glimmering in his eyes. Somehow, she had a feeling that he could read through her thoughts with that intelligent gaze.

She threw Shin a very annoyed look and continued walking ahead. "What makes ya so sure, huh? You haven't gone psychic on me, have ya?" Yankumi unconsciously shifted into her yakuza accent as she spoke to him. But then again, she has always felt comfortable with him. Whether it had something or nothing to do with the fact that he was aware of her background, she wasn't exactly sure.

Shin raised a brow and didn't reply. There wasn't really an answer to this question as Yankumi's mind was an open book to him. Instead, he preoccupied himself with watching her bobbing pigtails. As he did so, he couldn't help but share her thoughts, and he felt both depressed and excited at the idea. In a few more months, he would no longer be with his friends; they will all be pursuing their each and own paths. They will remain friends for sure, but chances of meeting each other in the future were slim. Then again, that also meant that he would no longer have this jolly woman in front of her as sensei. Perhaps, then, he might have a chance; right now, he knew that she only sees and cares for her only as his student. It wasn't in his nature to hope for more.

And there was still that lawyer…his jaw tightened considerably as he was remembered, for the thousandth time, how Kumiko called out Shinohara's name.

Meanwhile, Yankumi bobbed onwards, aware that Shin was closely behind her, yet completely oblivious of his churning thoughts. "So, why aren't ya with the others today? They're probably shitting themselves without yah already."

Cocking his head to her, he shrugged. "I'm visiting someone. Tired of my company already?"

"That what ya were thinkin'?" she narrowed her eyes and stopped walking completely. "And will you walk _beside _me? I hate it when I keep turnin' my head at ya!"

Shrugging again, he took the place beside her and they proceeded once more. Shin was relieved to see her smiling again as she hummed a simple tune to herself. The corners of his mouth relaxed into an almost half-smile when a note went off-key.

"You going to Kamiyama-chou with me, huh?" she murmured at him, still looking ahead.

"Un," was his only reply. After some time, he added. "Kyou told you?"

"He hinted that you might come. I didn't ask him why though—wait, ya aren't planning anything bad, eh?" She cast him a suspicious look.

"Like what?"

"Like going to them bars and clubs again," She said bluntly and he reddened slightly as he remembered the very unattractive woman wearing a nurse's outfit. He shuddered as he came to the part where she almost tore her pants off. He was lucky he escaped. "You're underage. Don't you forget that yet, kid."

Underage. Kid. As though he needed reminding that there was this damned six-year gap between them! He knew she didn't say that to hurt him, but the words still came to him as a slap. He dug his hands deeper into his pockets and sighed.

"I asked Kyou to train me," he said finally. "He reckons we might start today."

"Really? That's good," she looked happy again. Too happy, fact. He couldn't decide whether it was because she wanted him to train, or because he was sure to get a great deal of bashing. "Did Kyou tell you that he was the one who taught me to fight?"

"Yeah, I think he told me once."

"You'll learn so much from him. Kyou-san is a great man," she said, brimming with pride.

"Yeah, he is," he smiled as he remembered the man's teases and passionate lectures on manliness. Thinking of him reminded him what an elder brother should be. Shin had a brother, too, but he knew how the older man looked down on him. "He's already taught me so much already."

"Ehh? Like what?" she asked keenly. Yankumi's eyes widened when she realized that Kyou _had _previously gotten him a gal…! She gasped. Could it be that Shin has already had—already did _that_? Of course, it was not impossibility since many young ones engage in premarital sex. But the idea that it was _Shin_ and not just any other teenager made her squirm. She wasn't sure if it had something or nothing to do with him being her student. One thing was for sure though; she was _definitely_ going to kill the woman who stole his virtue!

Shin looked at her, too, and detected the deep-red blush spreading on her face which transformed into a nasty devil-look. He immediately understood her train of thought and sweat-dropped. "I-idiot, it's not like that! Stop thinking dirty thoughts—baka."

"Then what have you learned from him?" Her curiosity was piqued.

_That you like fundoshi-wearing men. _Surely, Yamaguchi would beat him to pulp if he dared mention it.

"Some things," he said vaguely. Extremely nettled by his unelaborated reply, she decided to beat the answer out of him. But Shin detected the evil smile beforehand and sprinted off before she could do him bodily damage.

"Hey! Come back here, yah little twit!" but soon, she was laughing as she ran after him.

Needless to say, they arrived at the area five minutes earlier than expected with Kumiko's arm hooked around his neck, smiling and giggling at his futile attempts to move away; though enjoying their close contact, Shin couldn't risk being strangled to death.

"Get…off!"

"_Not before yah spit what Kyou-san's been teaching yah, ya brat!_"

"Let go—"

"_Hey_—"

"Ah, Kumiko-chan…and the Red Lion! So, you've given up on Shinohara-sensei, eh?"

"EHH!" Both of them stopped bickering and looked up to see Uomasa-san's wife looking at them with a amused and triumphant expression on her face. Kumiko was suddenly aware of how conspicuous their position might seem; with her arm hooking her neck and his hands holding her arms like that…they look like a—a—

—_a flirting couple. _Shin thought inwardly. He peered up at her red face and she knew she was pretty much thinking the same thing. Before any of them could explain, the older woman spoke again.

"Well, that's a development then! A woman can't wait forever! Oh, here, I've got something for your grandfather!" She handed Shin a large and heavy squash and to Yamaguchi a plastic of potato tubers.

"Th-thanks, oba-san. But really, it's not like tha—"

"Oh, you don't have to be shy of having such a fine, young lover! Being with younger men'll make you feel younger, too," and she winked at Yamaguchi's beet-red face. Looking around discreetly, the older woman leaned close to her and whispered quite loud enough to be heard by Shin. "Tell me when you're planning to do it, eh, Kumiko-chan? I might give you some tips."

Before she could say anything more, Yankumi hastily said good-bye anddragged Shin from the stall as fast as she could.

As they trudged along the road with Yamaguchi muttering something about old women, Shin smiled to himself. The woman caller him Kumiko's _young lover_. Gazing intently at her petite form, and still-red face, he smiled even wider.

_I like that.

* * *

_

**Yeah, I know. Not much happened in this chappie, but it still is winding. There will be more in the next chapters. I'll update as soon as I can! If there are errors, please inform me so that I may correct them. Thank you!**

**Rocks?**

**Scissors?**

**Papers?**

**Please Review!**


	3. Bathing Issues

**Thank you to all the reviews! I must say that I was really encouraged to continue by all of 'em. To those who haven't read the manga, I highly recommend that you read 'em. Calophi has this great/cool/amazing fansite called The Whip of Love. It provides manga downloads (English translated). Calophi is really cool. So, if anyone out there hasn't visited The Whip of Love yet, I encourage you to by going to Calophi's page and connecting to the url. It is most recommended!**

**Special mention to:**

**dead2self: Yeah. That part did sound quite awkward. I haven't edited that paragraph as you've recommended, but I will as soon as I can. There's actually a problem with our PC recently and I had to update this chap through a borrowed laptop (I'm armed with a handy diskette) so I have to hurry. Thanks very much for your comments! I'll be sure to repost it!**

**Calophi: I actually am dedicating this fic to you. By reading your fics, I became acquainted to the Whip of Love and the manga downloads that you've and provided. You're so coooool. (Sigh) I'm not actually sure you'll ever get to read this lowly fic that I've made. Still, I just want every reader to know how great you are! So there!**

**Disclaimer:**

**My10315:** Yoohoooooo! Morimoto-kun! (In a sultry sing-song voice) Where-are-yoouu?

**Morimoto:** Gah! Get away from me! You give me the shivers!

**My10315:** (Snivelling) How crueeeel. I only wanted to set the disclaimer.

**Morimoto:** Do it yourself.

**My10315:** Aww, alright, baby.

**Morimoto:** (turning paper-white) I'm not your baby!

**My10315:** Hmm, darling?

**Morimoto: **(horrified) I'd rather spoon my eyes out!

**My10315:** (grinning deviously) Aww, but Morimoto-kun—

**Morimoto:** I told you never to "kun" me!

**My10315:** (sighs) Gokusenbelongstoyouyouandolnyyouit'snotminesoscrewmeforwantingtobeageniuslikeyou! Whew. Satisfied?

**Morimoto:** (grinning smugly) Of course.

**Ahem. So, with no more of that bickering, here comes the next chapter!**

**

* * *

**

**Bathing Issues**

"Fuji really likes you!" Yankumi commented and laughed. Fuji, by standards, was not your normal everyday dog but this did not prevent him from occasionally jumping on people. The moment they entered the gates, the large dog had bounded at her companion and had eagerly licked his face. Naturally, Shin fell flat on his back with a thud.

"So I've been told," he said dryly and scowled as he struggled to sit up. Every inch of his face was wet with dog spit, not to mention his back was sore from the unexpected impact with the ground. He tried to push the dog away, but as though not understanding his cue, Fuji placed his heavy paws on Shin's shoulders and lovingly abused his already much abused face. He could almost swear he could taste the smelly saliva. Yes, wonderful indeed.

Yamaguchi doubled over laughing as she watched the displeased expression on his face. He looked up at her consciously and he blushed—wait, was that really a blush? No, she must be seeing things. Shin doesn't blush, or rather, she never thought him to be the type. She thought she did see him blush once when she had rescued him from his father's house. But then again, it could easily be the trick of the light. Blinking, she looked at him more closely; there were no traces of redness in his cheeks. She must've really been seeing things then.

"Ojou, welcome back!" came Kyou's warm greeting as he came out of the house. He grinned when he saw Shin sitting on his rump with Fuji, who had grown tired of licking his face, comfortably lying on his lap. "And Young Master Red Lion is here, too! Doing warm-ups, eh?"

He glared at the man. _Moron. _

Kumiko smiled and shooed Fuji from Shin's lap and helped him up. The dog's liking for Shin was a mystery to her. But then again, Fuji has always been a strange dog.

"I think ya need a change of clothing," she mused. Much to Shin's annoyance and embarrassment, she sniffed him and added. "And I think ya need a bath."

"Right-O, ojou," and bellowing for Tetsu, Kyou ushered Shin inside the house, and into the bathroom. Tetsu arrived with a fresh towel and a set of clothes. Before he could protest, Kyou pushed him in and shut the door behind him.

"Guess I have no choice," he murmured to himself. Wrinkling his nose, he sneezed violently at the lingering canine smell. _Not that I mind. _With that, he threw off his clothes, went inside the shower room, and closed the curtains.

Meanwhile, the teacher led Fuji to Minoru to be fed. "By the way, Shin'll be stayin' here for dinner so you should cook some extra rice and soup for him, ok?"

"Alright, ojou."

For no reason at all, she jumped up, feeling especially cheerful. With an afterthought, she looked back at Minoru and added, "I think you should also prepare a room for him to stay the night."

"Eh—I mean—but ojou, I thought you said—"

Waving a hand at him, she winked. "He's having fighting lessons with Kyou-san. I doubt he'll be making it out of the front gate tonight."

oo0o0oo

_I'm supposed to be wearing this! _Shin gulped. He had just finished with the bath, and had already wiped himself up. With the towel wound tightly around his middle, he examined the extra-extra large T-shirts and shorts. He can't possibly get out of the bathroom wearing something that barely hung on his shoulders. The shorts alone—three people his size could fit there. He groaned. "These must be Tetsu's."

To his despair, he realized, as he further examined the clothes that there was no underwear. The idea of having nothing under something so unbearably loose was painstaking. And to top it all, his used clothes were no where in sight; someone must have snuck his clothes out, possibly to clean it up, but then, that meant that his only glimmer of hope has been extinguished.

Nerves twitching, he peered out of the hallway; there was no one in sight. _Well, I'm just gonna have to take my chances, _he thought wryly and tucked the towel even tighter. He needed to find Kyou, or Tetsu, or any one, just any one who is not Yamaguchi…or Kuroda for that matter.

_Kyou, where the fuck are you? _With a grimace and a thousand curses under his breath, Shin pattered his way into the corridor, Tetsu's clothes clenched on his hands. He sincerely wished Yamaguchi wouldn't find him in his state.

oo0o0oo

Ryuuichirou Kuroda was having his massage when Kumiko entered. The masseur motioned to leave but she stopped him as she sat down. "Don't worry, this won't take long."

Opening his eyes, Kuroda's eagle-sharp eyes were gentle as he focused them at his granddaughter. "What is it, Kumiko?"

"Shin's having dinner with us tonight. Kyou-san's teaching him how to fight."

"I see. So has the guest room been prepared for him as well?" Kumiko smiled. She really was more like her grandfather in opinions. She nodded in assent.

"Ah, Shinohara is coming here tonight. Were you told?"

"Ehh? Shinohara-sensei?" her mouth fixed into a too-wide and dreamy smile which made Kuroda flinch.

"Yes. He arranged to come here this evening—said it was something important."

Kumiko thoughtfully rested her chin on her hand. "Hmm, I wonder what it could be. I wish he'd come just to visit. He's always too busy with work."

Her grandfather closed his eyes and didn't answer. With a sigh, Kumiko stood up and excused herself from the room. _Shinohara-sensei…I wonder how he is? Grandpa said that we'll have to let him get back to the real world eventually. It's the right thing but…_

"OUU!" She shouted and fell flat on her back. Angry and flushed, Kumiko stood up to see who tripped her. Instead, she saw a wet puddle on the floor. "ARGH! WHO THE HELL MADE THIS MESS?"

Shinohara forgotten, she quickly followed the trail along the wooden boards, secretly promising pain to whoever made it. The wet foot trail went around the house except the private rooms. Still, there was no one in sight.

As she turned a corner, she fumed. "When I get my hands on that ass, I'll—SH—!" The curse died on her lips as she hurriedly bumped on the _offender. _The impact made her slip forward, and _he _fell on his rump with a thud, a surprised and disgruntled Kumiko on top of him.

Recognition hit them. "Sa-Sawada!"

"Yamaguchi, I—" Shin gulped nervously. How in the world did this happen? _I shouldn't have left that stupid bathroom…_but the thought died immediately as he stared up at her, mesmerized.

Was that her heartbeat? No, it can't be. Hearts don't beat like drums. Shin was too near—much too near for comfort. But strangely, she _felt_ comfortable _and_ sensationally warm all over. In the back of her mind, the image looked alarming and dangerous; a freshly bathed Shin clad only with a towel with her trapping and straddling him on the ground with her arms and legs. She couldn't move.

Her brain completely shut down its defenses.

All she could do was stare at the tendrils of water hanging on his damp hair.

The only other thing she could do was feel his cool skin against her flesh.

Still trapped in her dazed observation, her eyes traveled at his body. Sure, Shin wasn't the muscular and strong-looking type like Kyou or Kyousuke-san. But his lean physique had its own share of strength and masculinity. Kumiko was met with his heated intelligent gaze as she went to his face. A tingling sensation went up her spine.

Shin saw her very flushed face and he felt sure that his face was just as red. He recognized that expression on her face; the first was when she saw him in a fundoshi. But now was more intense, probably because of their position…

This close, he could almost count the strands of loose hair and see the sheen of perspiration on her neck. Studying and feeling her close, his heart thudded in a steady mantra. It was torture to have her so near and not have her.

Meanwhile, from being blank, her mind went completely haywire as a stray thought passed through her head. _His lips look so soft…what wouldn't you do for a teeny kiss, eh? And maybe you could bring it to a higher level…_

_NO! NO! Kumiko Yamaguchi, you can't rape your student! YOU'RE A TEACHER! HIS MATH TEACHER!_

If it had a mouth, the stray thought would have grinned eerily. _Who cares?_

Shin seemed to sense the whirl of thoughts in her head. For one thing, her glazed expression was moving nearer—they were almost nose to nose. He knew what she meant to do and resisted a groan. He could kiss her now if he wanted to, but he knew better. To take advantage of her on this spur of a moment might ruin his future chances. She would never forgive him.

_But there's no harm in trying, _came a sneaky voice in his head. _This chance might never happen again._

_Shut up. I'd pass on a hundred chances if it meant I'd have her at the end. _

He was determined. Her mouth was almost on his. Closing his vision from the captivated/captivating face, he blurted. "Oi! Will you get off me?"

"Eh—huh?" Kumiko snapped out of her daydream and jumped off him as though he were on fire. _WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED? _Her brain began functioning properly again and the whole situation clicked in place on her befuddled mind. She tried to master her breathing and her heartbeat as she exclaimed. "_What the hell were yah doin' walking around here like—like _that_, yah nasty pervert!_"

"Idiot! It's not like that!" And in a few words, he calmly explained his dilemma to her and she nodded in uncomfortable silence. Her thoughts wanted to scream at him hoarse: _how can you be so calm after what happened? I almost frickin' kissed you! Don't you understand how dangerous—how _wrong_ that would be?_ Instead, Kumiko stood up and helped him to his feet as well. She couldn't look at him. _God, this is embarrassing._

"Wait here. I'll fetch yah some clothes."

"O-okay." _Why am I stuttering like an incompetent fool? _He groaned inwardly.

She returned in less than a minute with an armful of clothes. "Duncha worry about the underwear, it's unused. Hurry up getting dressed and clean up the shit on the floor; I don't want grandpa slipping on 'em."

"Right," was all he could think of to reply.

Kumiko hurried outside to fan her still jangled nerves and blushing cheeks. _What was I thinking? _That moment, she actually thought—she actually felt as though she were _attracted _to Shin. _And _she actually thought that his lean, un-macho body was sexy. And on the top of that, she almost kissed him! And she doesn't even like him _that_ way!

But what if—

_Stop it, Kumiko. You're treading on dangerous stuff. You don't._

"Shit," she muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. "This is what I get for hanging around Fujiyama-sensei."

Minoru passed by her carrying a large pot and she suddenly remembered something. "Oi, Minoru, where is Tetsu?"

"Ah, he went out to buy a packet of cigarettes for Kyou-san," he sweat-dropped as her face transformed into a grim expression.

"Good. When he returns, tell him I have _something _of his," she stood up and cracked her knuckles. Her adopted brother gulped and scurried away with a brief "Yes, ojou." Kumiko normally doesn't enjoy punishing for mistakes, but Tetsu's jumble with clothes pissed her off. And anyways, she hadn't sparred for quite some time, too. It would be a nice exercise…and it would take her mind off things.

Gritting her teeth, she spitefully punched the wooden boards. _Damn you, Sawada! I hope Kyou beats you good! _

_

* * *

_

**Note: In the manga, Fujiyama likes thin men and used to talk to Yankumi about the "students she'd want to sleep with." Yeah, she's a weird one.**

**So...how was it? I'd really like to know how you feel about this fic. What would it be?**

**Grubby Shoes?**

**Smelly Socks?**

**Rotten Notebooks?**

**Tell me. Please? Oh, and should there be errors, please feel free to tell me so that I may correct them.**

**Please review!**


	4. An Unexpected Proposal

**Hello everyone! I'm back, with my fourth chappie! **

**Hmm, all I've gotta say is that this one is a wee bit of a long chapter. Actually, it took me some time to finish this one as classes have started at last. Again, I'm forced to juggle my time and schedules. (Sigh.)**

**But I do promise to update! I am very much determined to finish this story! So, to all the readers and reviewers who've supported me so far, I ask you to bear with me. Fight-o! Yeah! I will finish this one! **

**And anyways, juicier things are bound to happen to 'em, so I can't pass that up, right!**

Disclaimer:** Gokusen ain't mine, never was, never will be. If it were mine, I'm sure it wouldn't be as interesting as the original (which is, or course, the best! Morimoto rocks!).**

**

* * *

**

**An Unexpected Proposal**

The room was large and spacious. The walls were plain white and the floors were made of the conventional smooth tatami boards. Somehow, there was a feeling of newness in the room, as though it was a recent additive. A bench press was positioned on one side, with assorted weights stacked some two meters from the left wall. There was even a punching bag positioned on one corner. It's oddly frayed state told Shin that a certain pig-tailed teacher often used it for easing pent-up tension. In the middle was a sparring mat with its fading friction-glossed areas, indicating that it was used sparingly but vigorously.

"This is the training room," said the Young Chief proudly as he toured the student around the equipment.

_I can see that, _he thought wryly, feeling impressed at the same time. The small smile on Shin's face encouraged Kyou to continue. "It was built for ojou's college graduation. I remember it…she was so glad when the boss had it made for her. Pity I was in jail."

Shin stared. "How could you remember if you were in jail?"

"Ojou visited me. At first, I was pissed at Wakamatsu for bringing her there. The okami had to hold me back," and the mental image of a demonic-looking Ooshima Kyoutarou, mouth frothing as he spitted curses, being held by a dozen guards as he attempted to reach a very sorry Wakamatsu passed through the redhead's mind. "But then, ojou said that she had to thank me. You see, I made that suggestion to the boss when she was about ten years old. I didn't even think he'd remember. Boss is really so kind."

Shin didn't know whether to laugh or feel exasperated as Kyou became teary-eyed at the not so distant memories. And in his very own Kyou-ish fashion, he wailed. "And my sweet little ojou went to a filthy place like that just to visit me! I'm so ashamed of myself!"

The young chief continued howling and reminiscing about the past leaving Shin utterly lost on what to do. To his relief, one of the doors slid open. But his relief died as soon as it came, replaced by queasy sensation around the pit of his stomach.

"What's this noise? Ah, Kyou-san," she said cheerily. Her eyes darted to and away from Shin, failing to acknowledge his presence as he noticed the sudden reddening of her cheeks. "I thought you were training—him."

"Ah, yes, ojou," replied the older man with a sniff, oblivious of the sudden tension between the two. "But I was just telling the Young Master about the history of this room."

Kumiko rolled her eyes, trying vainly to ignore the pair of dark eyes boring into her. "I see. Well, don't let me keep you." And she moved to leave.

"Ah, but I thought you wanted to watch Shin's training?" Shin stared questioningly at the young chief. Kyou didn't tell him that.

_Fool. Why would he tell you something so trivial? _countered an irritated voice at the back of his head.

Kumiko smiled at them—was that a sneer directed in his direction?—and indicated to the stack of papers tucked beneath her arm. "Got some stuff t' do. And I wouldn't wanna see my cute student embarrass himself in front of me."

For a moment, he watched her retreating back slightly relieved but feeling injured as well. He felt sure that she was still upset if she intentionally meant to push him away with that seemingly unimportant statement. But it hit a soft spot. If his body was only stronger—if he only knew how to fight better, maybe she'd see him in a different light. Shin knew she respected his intelligence and smart-ass attitude, but his physical weakness was another thing, one of the many obstacles to her affection. His hands clenched inside his pockets. He'll train hard for sure and—

A comfortable weight rested on his shoulder. "Don't sweat yourself thinking, Young Master." He sighed and looked up into the older man's knowing face. "I'll help yah be the man that you wanna be."

Shin nodded and made a ghost of a smile. How long had Kyou known? He often wondered. But at that moment, his comforting and supportive presence gave him all the encouragement in the world.

"Let's get going now!" said Kyou energetically. Shin nodded again, this time more determinedly, wishing momentarily that Kumiko hadn't given him the cold shoulder.

oo0o0oo

"Another meaningless stack of paperwork!" she growled, scribbling down the last score. Deep inside, she knew this was half-true and she felt a small twang of pride. This batch of quizzes had low scores but, compared to the last ones, these had promise. For one thing, no one received a grade below 30! Grinning ruefully, she shuffled the test papers together and knotted them into a bunch with a rubber band. The pleased smile on her face became rather fixed as she glared at topmost paper. It had a score of 100, and there was only one person in his class, let alone the entire batch who had enough brains to perfect her examinations.

Kumiko sighed. There really was no reason to get uptight with the boy, she reasoned with herself. But she couldn't help feeling irritated and furious at him. No one had ever gotten such a close contact with her before. She knew it was an accident but…! She bit her lower lip as she remembered the sensation of being close in his arms. For the umpteenth time, she mentally slapped herself for wanting to kiss him.

_Shut up, shut up, shut up! You have absolutely no business feeling like that you, you perverted woman! _her thoughts screamed.

_I'm not a perverted woman!_

_Yes, you are. You were thinking of how firm his torso felt._

_No, I wasn't!_

_Yes, you were. _

_No, I wasn't!_

_YES, YOU WERE!_

_NO, I WASN'T!_

Kumiko pinched the bridge of her nose; she was starting to have a migraine. She never had migraines before but this one felt like it. Tetsu chose that moment to enter with a steaming pot of green tea.

"Here is your afternoon tea, ojou!" he said cheerily as he poured on her cup.

She frowned, puzzled. "But I didn't ask for an afternoon tea. And it's already 7:30."

Tetsu, scratched his bald head sheepishly, "Ah, I just—'coz you looked a bit stressed earlier, ojou. And tea calms your nerves sometimes…"

A lump formed in her throat and her eyes began stinging. She instantly regretted having pounded him earlier for his mistake—heck, everyone make mistakes! Smiling ruefully, she felt really happy and lucky to have a brother like him. With a small sniff, she murmured. "Thank you, Tetsu."

Tetsu grinned from ear to ear and excused himself from the room, leaving her to drink her tea in peace. The tea did calm her nerves, she thought warmly as she savoured the aroma and sipped peaceably. The wind chime hanging outside the door tingled and she looked up at the darkening horizon. A smile played along her lips. The whole thing was an accident, nothing more, she thought reasonably. No one could blame her anyways; Shin really looked nice. There was nothing wrong with feeling somewhat attracted with him. In fact, now that she thought it over, it would've been unfeminine of her if she found him unattractive.

_Yes, that was it. It was just that, _she murmured to herself, feeling satisfied with her analysis. Gulping down her third cup, she stood up and decided to visit the two men on the other side of the building.

oo0o0oo

"Urgh."

Kyou grinned down at him and extended a hand. Shin waved it aside, determined to stand on his own. The former smiled even wider, impressed at the redhead's will power and fighting spirit. "All right! One more, Young Master?"

If Shin noticed the kindly note in Kyou's voice, he didn't show it. Mouth set in a taut line, he wiped his bloodied mouth with the sleeve of his sweatshirt, quite forgetting that it was borrowed clothing. In the standard fighting position, he shouted. "OU!"

To count, he had received, 68 punches (20 of which were successfully blocked), 10 kicks not including the three he managed to dodge, and suffered from the third, recent head throw. Of course, he knew the young chief had to hold back since he was a newbie but the hits he received were still painful. When a person wants to fight, one had to be prepared for the pain after all.

"Too slow! But I can't blame yah. Remember to dodge and watch carefully before striking, eh?"

He nodded grimly and began his attack. Kumiko leaned casually on the sliding door and watched the sparring pair. Observing wryly, it really didn't matter who did the first move; Kyou was really much too fast for Shin. They danced on the sparring mat, spit and sweat flying. Kyou seemed much unharmed in contrast to her student's battered form. Though some of Shin's attacks managed to hit Kyou, Kumiko knew that those were uselessly directed in his strong areas, and thus could never inflict real damage. Nevertheless, she felt impressed; he seemed to be catching up pretty well with the young chief.

Clearing her throat, she spoke in her usual cheerful tone. "Hello, boys. Having fun?"

The two simultaneously halted their attacks. For the first time, she realized that Shin's hair was tied in a pony and, for a careless moment, decided that he looked really nice that way. She fully received Shin's stare and fidgeted slightly, wondering if he perceived her thoughts. There's no reason to feel uncomfortable, she disputed calmly and returned his gaze until he looked away. "I think my pretty stud's been pulped enough for the day. You've been working non-stop for—" and she consulted the wall clock. "—two hours now."

"Ah, yes, we should turn in now," answered Kyou and patted Shin with a grin. "Have you been watching, ojou? The Young Master here had real spunk. You should be proud of him."

With a wide grin, she said. "Of course I am! He's my best student!"

Shin couldn't help but feel the corners of his mouth quirk. She wasn't mad at him anymore. It felt nice to be acknowledged by her in his tired state. His face only sported a swollen left cheek and a bleeding lip but the rest of his body was already black and blue. The compliment was a salve to his wounded pride and battered body.

"You're staying in the guestroom," Kumiko grinned at the questioning look on his face. "We all know you can hardly walk, kid. You look like hell—you should change stuff again. We've prepared the necessary clothing for yah."

"Ah…thanks," was all he could think of to say. After all, she _was_ right. Anyways, he liked the cheery and homey atmosphere at the Kuroda household. They may be tough gangsters but theirs was the kind of family that he missed and admired.

oo0o0oo

Shin stifled a yawn as they blessed the food and began to eat. At that moment, all he wanted to do was fall back on the floor and sleep. Of course, he couldn't yield as much as he wanted to; Kumiko was sitting just beside him. She'd laugh senseless should he fall face down on the hot bowl that had been placed right before him. That would truly be embarrassing, especially in the presence of her grandfather. However, he had no doubt that the others would enjoy such a scene as well.

Tetsu and Minoru finished serving the dishes and sat down last. Kuroda, who sat at the head of the table, facing Kumiko at his right and Kyou at his left, enquired as to Shin's training. Kyou proudly responded that he was doing well for a new apprentice and Shin had to bow at the approving glance the sandaime sent his way. His teacher nudged him with her elbows and gave him a thumbs-up of encouragement. He resisted the urge to smile openly at her and looked at her smugly instead.

Kumiko started digging-in in her own very unwomanly fashion. Shin watched her from the corner of his eyes, feeling highly amused; it was similar to watching a child on a favourite meal.

"You know,"—biting through a fish steak—"Yer weely lear'ing fa't." Gulping down, she attacked the salted rice without much looking up at him. "E'en Techoo 'n Minorah 'ad a 'ard time catchin' up with Kyou-'an."

"Maybe you shouldn't chew while talk," he suggested blandly and proceeded to munching the string beans. He received a very open glare from her at his statement. He smirked side wards at her and found her expression very cute…especially since some sticky grains of rice clung on the sides of her mouth. There were even some on her bangs.

"You've got some rice here," he said pointing to the area. "And your hair, too."

With a highly embarrassed look on her face, she tried to remove it all vainly. Sighing softly, he cupped her chin with his left hand and brushed off the bits with his other. Kumiko couldn't move in surprise, breath almost catching in her throat. His face was neared hers as he inspected her closely. She reddened, eyes widening as she watched his mouth. Why was she even looking at his mouth?

Noticing her reaction, Shin felt secretly satisfied and deliberately slowed his movements, savoring the feel of her face while teasing her with his thumb at the same time. When everything was done, he even held her face for some seconds longer than necessary before gently pulling away. Shin smiled discreetly, feeling slightly warm at his very bold move and proceeded eating more heartily.

Kumiko, feeling very awkward, let out a very fake laugh, babbling about the trouble with long hair. Annoyed with her subtle way of spoiling his moment of glory, he softly murmured about "fools making stupid excuses." Equally annoyed, Kumiko declared about "foolish boys who know nothing" and promptly "stole" his fish steak. The pissed redhead retaliated and took her chicken nugget, and soon, they were bickering over food, fools, and thievery.

Wakamatsu and the two live-ins sweat dropped as they watched the playful exchange, Kyou held an amused expression, while Kuroda pretended watching the opened television, with a discreet smile that matched Shin's. The same thing was running in all the onlookers' heads: they looked like a married couple.

"Stupid kid," the woman sent her fist flying at her student, and to both their surprises, Shin caught it. Feeling quite impressed and even more annoyed, she scoffed and tried to pull away. "That was luck."

"Whatever," he smirked, determined not to release her hand. He was not used to the feelings that she stirred in him but he liked it immensely. _Foolish woman, can't you see what you're doing to me? _

Kumiko laughed as she tried to wrestle out of his grasp but, as her eyes met his murky depths, she abruptly stopped her resistances. Without noticing, her breath caught in her throat again when his thumb made a non-existent trail on her wrist.

"Good evening. Am I interrupting something?" The two looked up simultaneously. Kumiko's eyes widened; Shin's narrowed.

_Shinohara-sensei! _As usual, he looked resplendent in his immaculate suit. His endearing and intelligent gaze swept them all as the others greeted him cheerily before focusing on hers. Finally, he smiled; his smile reached her and she grinned. "Hallo…Kumiko-chan."

Kumiko waited for that jumpy feeling, the warm sensation, the titters that never failed her whenever she was in their family lawyer's presence. She waited expectantly—

It'll be there…in a sec—but wait…the effect usually was instantaneous…maybe some more seconds?

…….?

Nothing came. _That's weird. No. That can't be. _Forcefully, she shifted herself to all gooey-eyes and sweet smiles, believing the lapse to be a glitch. "Shinohara-sensei! Come, you're just in time for dinner."

…_just in time? Him? _Shin grimaced. He flinched at Kumiko's gushes, thinking it highly unbecoming of her to sound like that. _Why is he here anyways?_

"Hm. You are late, Shinohara," said Kuroda sternly, looking slightly annoyed at Kumiko's sugary giggles, and the interruption of the most recent development. Kyou respectfully scooted to give space for the lawyer, and for the first time, Shin noticed that there was a space which was allotted for the man.

_Stupid, _smacked a mental voice. _He most probably arranged coming here tonight. And he's the family lawyer so there's nothing wrong with him coming, you fool._

He clenched his hands unconsciously and was surprised to feel something warm in his grasp. Eyes widening, he looked down to see that he was still holding Kumiko's hands. Apparently, she had forgotten this detail as she was too busy showering the lawyer with her attention. Had Shinohara noticed it? Shin risked a glance upwards and felt the calculating gaze cast in his direction. The lawyer narrowed his eyes—was that a frown?—and greeted him suavely. "Hello. Shin-san, right?"

"It's Sawada," he muttered, returning the look, unfazed by the other man. There was silence; everyone seemed surprised by his coldness, save Kyou (who looked slightly impressed and annoyed) and Kuroda (who seemed mildly amused while drinking his tea).

Kumiko made to slap his crown for his insolence but pulled her hand away instead when she noticed how comfortably it was being held. The "audience" noticed her subtle movement and eyed her interestedly, save Kuroda who was still "drinking" his tea. A blush rose to her ears and she laughed nervously. What is happening? She tucked at her collars uncertainly. Did the temperature just raise a notch? _Why's everyone looking at me?_

In fact, everyone seemed to know the source of the tension save the unwary ojou. Feeling extremely uncomfortable, she hastily stood up. "It's a bit hot in here." Everyone followed her with their eyes. _Stop staring at me! _"I-I'll just go—and—ah, hehe…" It was unnerving her. Temper rising, she stalked off, extremely annoyed and nettled.

The soft brown earth crunched under her light footsteps. Kumiko sighed, glad for the fresh air which welcomed and eased her. Somehow, everyone _felt_ uptight in there, and it was actually the very first time she felt suffocated with Shinohara's presence, or around her family for that matter.

_Does it have something to do with Shin being there?_

With a shrug, she decided to ignore her thoughts before they return to the earlier dangerous thoughts and stepped beside the tiny pool in their yard, intent on watching the fishes swim peacefully. Soft moonlight glinted on the water. The night time breeze rustled the old tree by the pond allowing the dried leaves to scatter and fall. The young woman watched one brownish leaf dwindle to a spot before her. It sent tiny ripples as it touched the surface and she smiled, both mystified and intrigued by the ambiance of the place. Naturally, this was her personal hideaway and her favourite spot: even the toughest people have their moments.

Her keen ears vaguely noted the arrival of an intruder. She sighed; who could possibly be foolish enough to disturb her in a mood? Of course, only a certain red-haired visitor in the house could possibly be a stranger to her moods…

"Stop skulking there, will ya?" she said grouchily, not bothering to turn. "If ya wanna say something, spill. Can't ya see I don't wanna be disturbed?"

"Ah, I'm sorry. I was just wondering if I could talk to you for a moment."

Kumiko perked immediately when she recognized the voice and turned her head. There was only one person who possessed such a suave and cool voice…

"Shinohara-sensei!" she breathed and struggled to stand up. Shinohara approached and helped her to her feet. Again, she prepared herself for the excitement which coursed in her body whenever the lawyer was near her. Again, she was disappointed by the lack of stimulus. And again, she wondered why she felt nothing but a tingle of embarrassment and uneasiness around him. _Uneasiness! _Kumiko shook mentally, _I never feel uneasy around Shinohara-sensei!_ Uncertainly, she muttered. "A-arigato."

He smiled his secretive smile. The teacher looked up and forced a cheery laugh. "Ehehe. Sorry if—you know—I was a bit—"

"It's alright, Kumiko-chan," he murmured. "I understand that you want some time alone, but I need to speak to you."

"Oh, ah—it's okay—" he was still holding her hand, and she fidgeted, not understanding the negative feelings she was having. _Relax! This is Shinohara-sensei. Relax, Kumiko— _Unheedingly to her thoughts, she sharply pulled away and laughed even harder at the frown which passed across his forehead. "Sorry—I—" she sighed. It's come to this. She needed an alibi. "I'm just—I'm just a bit tired today, you know! The—ah—well, there was a prob earlier with—uh—some stuff and, hehe, I think and—"

For the first time, she realized that he was not listening; his eyes trailed thoughtfully along the surface of the pond. Stopping with her meaningless babble, she bowed her head, highly unsure of herself. _What is wrong with you? _screamed her inner voice. _You're with the man you love and all you can do is babble?_

_I dunno…I—_

"I found a replacement."

"Yes, you have—WHAT!" she spluttered, eyes widening.

Shinohara returned his gaze on her face and her breath stuck in her throat; the look on his eyes was tender, and almost loving. For some reason, it alarmed her, but it was not the issue. "You're leaving?"

A cryptic smile passed on his face. "The man I found has great potential. You're grandfather even approves—"

"He didn't tell me! Why didn't he—!"

"—and I think he's just your age. You'll get along well."

"But—but—" Anxiety unhinged her. The man that she believed she loved was leaving. More than that, he was part of the family, and the fact that he hid everything pained her to no extent. She suddenly became angry. "You stupid man!" she fumed. "You didn't even tell me a single stuff of it and—"

"Whoa, why so furious?" he asked mildly, as though amused.

Eyes flashing, she stepped gripped him by the collars. She didn't give a damn's thought for respect at that moment as she shouted tearfully, "You said we're like a damn family here, and then you're just gonna leave the kumi just like—"

Firm lips pressed itself against hers and she stiffened. Strong hands were firmly planted against the arch of her back and for some reason, her mind went blank. He adjusted his head and moved his lips deeper. The truth trickled upon her head. He was kissing her! It was the dream that she used to replay again and again in her head. Now it was reality—and she couldn't react!

It didn't last long enough to register in her head. When he pulled away, he smiled at her breathless surprise. "Who said about leaving?"

oo0o0oo

A few meters behind, a pair of feet halted abruptly. Some of the contents from the steaming cup of tea that Tetsu told him to give her spilled and scalded his hands but he hardly felt it. Illuminated by the moonlight, there was his teacher in the arms of a certain black-haired lawyer…

And he kissed her.

Shin stepped back, eyes not leaving the scene before him in masochistic disbelief. She was held unresistingly in his arms, and for a vague painful moment, the moment reminded him of a beautiful painting he once saw of a tragic couple. The scene was the same, hauntingly beautiful and tragic, but this time, he was the one who felt the tragedy. Him, Shin Sawada, the student, the kid, the outcast. He felt numb and cold as he went back inside the house and, with shaking hands, placed the untouched cup on the table. The world seemed surreal as he told Kyou that he needed to leave. The older man questioned him, but he didn't answer. Everyone's protests fell on deaf ears as he wordlessly took his bag, paid his respects to Kuroda, who was strangely silent, and exited through the gate. And, ignoring the stiffness in his muscles, Sawada Shin closed his eyes and ran, as though to escape the world that was crashing around his ears.

* * *

**(Running and alternately dodging flying tomatoes and ketchup)**

**I'm interested. What do you think of this development? Sorry if I had to do this to Shin, but it is part of the story. Don't worry; the pairing is still ShinKumi (or rather, ShinKumiShino which will eventually lead to ShinKumi). I think I'm a bit guilty of being a bit OOC on some of the chars, but well...Reviews are open! **

**I wonder…would I still be alive after your death threats? Hehe, just kidding (sweats nervously).**

**So…**

**Tin cans?**

**Jagged rocks?**

**Car engines?**

**Please review!**


	5. Bad Day

**Sorry, I had to repost this chapter. I changed the title from "Friends" to "Bad Day" as I thought the former was inappropriate. There were just too many errors, and I am very sorry! It is indeed a sin to post something with many errors. If you see any more, please tell me, and I shall be glad to correct 'em all.**

**Hello again, everyone! Thanks very much to all those who've read and reviewed! I really enjoyed and appreciated 'em!**

**Heehee, sorry for this very late update. But I did warn yah all last time that I mightn't be able to update soon. School was just too much. I mean, they keep shoveling us with weekly exams, and the chapters that we study are really no joke (I mean, veeery long chapters!). Worst of that is our classes are often canceled because of external conflicts (storms, etc), meaning our exams would all have to pile up on a teeny single date. And of course, they'd refuse to let us off the projects. **

**Sigh. The life of a student…amazing, neh? Still, I love student-hood (cheers for the students!). And I think I better stop blabbering right now.**

**Today is the second day of our preliminaries…and I just thought I'd finally finish this chapter before I forget about it. I can't promise that I'd be able to post the next chapter soon, but please bear with me. I'm sure y'all understand. Thanks!**

**With no further ado (again), here is the fifth installment! Chow!**

**ooo0oOo0ooo**

**Bad Day**

Sawada Shin opened up an eye blearily. Darkness surrounded him. _What time was it? _

The glow-in-the-dark clock on his bedside told him that it was only 2 AM. He sighed and stretched heavily against the hard bed. Sweat trailed from his naked chest and torso as he stared up at the ceiling, and waited for exhaustion to claim him again.

Since returning from the Kuroda's, he stumbled in his apartment and drained an ice-cold Gatorade from the refrigerator, but this did nothing to lessen the dull sensation in his chest. In fact, it seemed to worsen as a sense of clarity sharpened the scene that played over and over his head. Physically, mentally, and emotionally, he was tired. But even the confines of his bed did nothing to shield him from the flashes of pigtails, moonlight, and a mocking grin in a dark suit. He fell in and out of sleep, drifting from fantasy to reality, reeling and seeing jumbled memories exaggerated into dreams.

He blinked up at the ceiling once more and groaned; it was only thirty minutes past 2 and he was awake again. What could get him peace?

"Nothing," he murmured ironically. Whether he was asleep or awake didn't matter. Nothing could give him peace. In a few hours it would be sunrise and he would have to drag his feet to school again. Of course, that meant facing Yamaguchi. He could almost see her entering the classroom all teeth and smiles. She'd probably be gushing all over Shirokin grounds, and of course, her fellow teachers including the students would find her weirder than ever. What would she say should they ask her?

"Damn you, Shinohara," he muttered vehemently. Frustratedly, he went to the fridge and took out the gin that he kept. He was no drinker and he knew he would have a hell of a hangover in the morning. Nevertheless, he unscrewed the cap and drank straight from the bottle. Heat waved and slid down his throat, settling briefly in his chest as he halted, heaving deep breaths. In two more gulps, his dark room was already growing hazier. The room felt hot, his skin even hotter. _Oh shit. _

_Damn you, Yamaguchi._

His last remembrance was the much hated scene but before he could protest, a drunken and dreamless sleep claimed him at last.

oo0o0oo

For a very long time, Kumiko lay down at his bed staring blankly at the ceiling. It was already morning but she hadn't managed to close her eyes the entire night. No matter what she did, she could do nothing to remove the flashing events in her head. Everything happened so fast, she hardly realized it happening.

…_Kumiko, _he had murmured softly as he held her eyes in his mesmerizing gaze. _Will you let me become a permanent addition in the family?_

She bit her lip as the words echoed once more into her memory. What had she answered again?

_I-I'll think it over, _she had answered. For the umpteenth time, she thumped her head back violently against her pillow and groaned. "No, no, no, ya stupid prick! Why did you say that? _What the hell is wrong with you?_"

Long ago, she would have felt ecstatic at receiving the proposal of that one man—her knight, as she sappily called him. But things seemed different now. Or was the real thing always different?

For some reason, she felt worse when she heard that Shin left in a hurry.

_Of course you'll feel worse, yah twerpy goose. 'side from Kyou and the rest o' the kumi, who can you really talk to?_

"Stupid," she murmured with a temper. Why would she even want to share intimate details of her life to him?

But then again, hasn't she always treated Shin with more as a young friend than a student? Outside her family and Shinohara, Shin was the only person who got close enough to be labeled as a friend, no matter how informal it may seem.

_How about Fujiyama? Or Uchi and Minami and…_

"Shut up, shut up!" she shouted at the silent ceiling. "Stop confusing me! That's the end of it!"

A wary knock resounded from outside the door. "What?" she spat, not even caring to move from her place.

"Ah…ojou, are you alright?" came Minoru's voice. "Boss and Kyou-san are really worri—"

"Of course I'm alright!" she cut impatiently, though softening immediately as she thought of her grandfather. "Just—just leave me for a sec, ok. Had a rough night."

"Do you want any—"

What part of "leave" was so hard to understand? "JUST GO!"

Needless to say, raising her voice and snapping at Minoru did nothing to lighten her mood.

oo0o0oo

"Shin's been acting weird," Kuma's voice sounded amidst the rowdy classroom. They occupied their usual space but the absence of Shin made their group less cheerful. Even Inuzuka wasn't fun without Shin's teasing.

Uchi, deeply immersed in playing his "borrowed" Gameboy Advance, suddenly screamed in frustration. "Fuuuck! My frickin' Charmeleon died! What were you saying again, Kuma?"

Minami ignored Uchi and replied to the big guy directly, "Yeah. He seemed a bit off today. He wasn't himself these past few days…and he didn't come banging with us yesterday!"

"Yeah, and today, he just went straight to the rooftop without even stopping to greet us. What the hell is wrong with that guy?" muttered Noda with a frown.

"He's always at the rooftop—die, sucker!"

"—but without even talking to us?" wondered Kuma. "And when I did try talking to him, he just ignored me."

"Tch. It's serious then." Uchi solemnly shut the Gameboy and looked up at them. "It is obvious that Shin has a big problem."

"That's what we've been saying, yah moron!"

"But do you know the problem?"

None of them spoke, and with their silence Uchi ventured with a look that made even his freckles serious. "But I know."

"WHAAA?" the three huddled around him, and even Inuzuka was fairly interested as he inched closer to them, the "I want to be good" sign on his head bobbing in excitement. Uchi smiled cattily as they chorused. "What did Shin tell yah!"

"Captain Uchi knows everything! Nyahahaha!" and with a little cough, he added secretively. "It is obvious that…"

"…that…?"

"..that…."

"…that….."

"..thaaaaaat….."

"…that…?"

"…thaaaaaaaaa—"

Losing his cool, Kuma suddenly lifted Uchi by the scruff. "JUST SPIT IT!"

".AHH! THAT SHIN'S BEEN DUMPED!"

At that, everyone in the classroom stopped their noise and stared at him. Including a certain pig-tailed woman who was standing motionlessly from the doorway.

Still not noticing her arrival, Minami blurted the first thing that came into his mind. "That's stuuuupid, man. Shin doesn't even have a girlfriend."

"Yeah, he's, umm—got this allergy on girls." Added Kuma.

"Hey—let me down!" screamed Uchi who was still hanging from the large teen's grip. When he finally settled onto a chair, he continued. "Shin's been shifty on us these days. Acting weird. Maybe he ain't got a girl yet, but Commander Uchi's sure it's a love prob."

"Commander Uchi? Fuck, that's even more stuuupid than Shin having a girl."

"Hmm, now that you mentioned it, I think it is possible."

"EH? Not you, too, Noda!"

Noda shrugged. "You never know with Shin. He's always been secretive."

"I wonder," said Uchi brightening suddenly, "Could it have something to do with—"

BAM!

Everyone jumped in surprised. Some literally fell from their seats, Kuma flinched, and Minami gulped. Behind the teacher's table stood a very pissed Yankumi wielding an equally pissed-looking baseball bat.

BAM! Everyone jumped again as Kumiko struck the table with her bat for the second time. And the same thought seemed to simultaneously cross their minds.

_WHERE THE FUCK DID SHE GET THAT BAT?_

She looked down at them unsmilingly, a slightly sadistic glimmer in her eyes. "So."

They waited; what else would she say after "so"?

But she said nothing more as, with a glazed look, she stared into empty space beside the window…a place a certain redhead usually occupied.

She frowned and swirled the bat like a baton; those occupying the front inched back, fearing her wrath.

"Sawada's missing. Where is he?"

Kuma gulped, unable to speak, and pointed up.

"Inuzuka," she called.

"Y-yes?" stuttered the blondie. In a careless swing, the baseball bat flew straight at the boy. Fortunately, he caught it before it could hit his face, or his repentance flag.

"You're in charge of the room while I'm away," she muttered and started for the door. "Bash anyone who tries to leave."

"EHHH?" Screamed Noda simultaneously with the other students. "You can't do that!" But Kumiko was already gone before they could all protest. "What's wrong with that bitch?"

"I've got a veeery bad feeling about this," said Minami. "I'm sure she's getting Shin."

"Yeah, Shin in a bad shit plus Kumiko in a bad shit makes even badder shit."

"Man! Let's go after 'em!"

"You--can't--go--ouuut…"

"What the fu—"

And the four came face to face with a scary-faced Inuzuka. He looked twice more menacing with the baseball bat in his hand.

Needless to say, this was the worst shit for all of them.

oo0o0oo

Shin lay supinely on the wooden bench. An opened magazine shielded his face from the glare of the sun. He groaned as another sharp pain crossed his temple; the rest of his head already felt numb and swollen.

The rooftop door opened with a bang and he flinched; loud sounds are hell in a hangover.

Familiar treading footsteps neared and he immediately knew who it was. The scent of fresh soap and tea leaves brought a dull pang on his already befuddled head.

_But isn't this why you frequently visit the rooftop alone? Just to catch her attention, have her with you even for some spare minutes? _Today was no different. Part of him didn't want to see her, but his better half wanted her to find him alone, as is their usual morning ritual.

"This is the second time you skipped my class this week."

"Unh," he murmured. The tone of her voice told him that she wasn't in much of a mood either. _How ironic._

"Don't tell me you're too tired from last night. Hmpph, well, that could be just it. You're just a lil twerp."

_What the hell? _"If you troubled yourself with coming here to tell me just that, thanks a lot."

"Is that all you're gonna say?"

"What? Do I have to ask you to go away?" _Fuck. That sounded so childish. _His head throbbed even more.

Kumiko did not speak and looked down at him for a full minute before settling on the floor beside him. She dangled her legs through the bars and sighed. Last night's proposal and loss of sleep did much to kick her mood. But seeing Shin in a similar state somewhat made her feel somewhat better, and more forgiving.

"I heard you were dumped," she murmured tersely as she stared at the distant buildings.

"You listen too much to trash," he replied irritated.

"Uchi was the one who said the "trash.""

"Hm."

Silence.

"You left last night. Everything's been prepared for yah."

"Hm."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "Got something to do."

"What were you gonna do?"

"None of your damned business."

Bristling at his answer, she muttered with a sneer, "Well, I was your host last night so you should've told me."

"I was in a rush. Couldn't find you."

It was amazing how the words came fluidly off his mouth. He answered all the questions without a sweat, but inwardly he was squirming. Why the interview? Why can't she just leave him in peace?

She paused, as if hearing his thoughts. "Am I bothering you?"

_You are…and you aren't. _"Didn't you come here to fetch me for class?"

"Yeah. I guess I did." She sounded a bit sad, and Shin felt his conscience sting him. Brightening for a moment, she added. "So, why're yah drunk then?"

"How did—"

Laughing and waving a hand impatiently, she scoffed. "Smelt yah. From the door, and even in this wind, I could smell the liquor off yah. Not even an hour of bathing or cologne could get that smell of yah for now. Kyou and Uncle Kyosuke always had that after smell when they're drinking together."

"Hmmph. Some dog sense you got," he muttered.

She pouted, "I heard that. It's just something yah learn from living with the kumi. Really, I thought you were smart!"

He felt himself grinning as he muttered sheepishly. "I am."

Her robust laughter echoed throughout the rooftop, carried by the wind. For a moment, a smile passed his hidden features as he imagined how ridiculous she looked whenever she laughed. Estranged silence soon replaced that moment, and a vague sense of foreboding filled the youth's chest. For some reason, he felt that nothing was going to be the same between them, not after what he witnessed the previous night.

For a brief moment, Shin wondered if he should prod on her to confide on him (something much unlikely from Sawada's nature) and pretend to sound surprised. But it was just too painful to do that at the moment.

As though playing an ironic sync with his mind, she whispered. "You know, last night…Shinohara proposed to me."

_I know. I saw, _he wanted to blurt out but didn't. Instead, a strange pang of remorse wormed his insides; hearing from her still hurt. He squeezed his eyes shut, fervently willing the mental image of the memory, almost wishing that she had not come up the rooftop at all.

At his silence, she continued. "I—I'm not sure how to feel, really. I haven't answered him yet but Grandpa and the others already know about it. It's funny, really, hehe. I've been dreaming of him for years, and now he's finally proposed, and I didn't answer properly."

_She hasn't given him her word yet. _For a fleeting moment, thrill passed his insides, dying almost immediately with realization.

…_but she will, soon._

Fighting to stifle a groan, Shin struggled to sit up, the magazine falling from his face and onto the cement floor. He urged a glance at her before looking in another direction. What would she think of him if he asked about her answer? He wouldn't want her to think he was prying, or that he was interested. Still, his eyes unconsciously drifted to her and the words fell out of his mouth as though it was the most casual question in the world.

"Are you going to marry him?"

A sharp breath was caught in her throat. _Am I going to marry Shinohara?_ Her practical side told her that it was one of her best wants and fantasies; she should accept it. But under his, Shin's, dark, almost accusing gaze, the answer seemed to elude him. Slowly, she raised her eyes sideways and was vaguely surprised to find him staring at her all the while. There was a hopeful, almost hungry gleam in his eyes, as though he was waiting for something—a miracle—to happen. Heat suddenly shot up her neck and ears.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" she demanded.

"Why don't you just answer my question?" he countered, still looking at her. Under normal circumstances, he would just break the contact and move on. But he still groggy from gin and he could hardly care less. Or probably, he was just too desperate to care.

"So what if I do?" she spat back. Sawada grimaced and looked away; she might as well throw him down the balcony for all he cared. Kumiko nibbled her lower lip and continued uncertainly. "Shinohara is a very special person to me."

_Special. Feh. I'm sure you felt more than that last night._

"Why are you telling me this?"

Her eyes widened at the question and she felt a slap of realization. Why indeed was she telling him all those things?

Suddenly remembering her earlier reason, she muttered. "Because—because you're more than just a student, Sawada. You're—you're my friend."

A frown passed involuntarily across his forehead. Friend. Only a friend. Of course, with Shinohara around, who was he to expect for more? Forcing an uncaring shrug, he painfully lowered himself to the bench to lie down once more. If he were a lesser man, he would have cried.

_Cry? Heh. Such a stupid thought so early in the morning._

He wanted to hurt her for saying that, and in a moment of spontaneity, he uttered something which could have killed all the birds in the trees in grief.

"Friend?" he muttered sarcastically and laughed dryly. A cold sense of dread passed Kumiko's chest. And there was definite reason for that dread.

A gunshot, decided Kumiko, was better than Shin's next cold phrase: "Sheh. What gave you the idea?"

Cold silence passed between them. Kumiko was still too shocked at his statement to reply; Shin, on the other hand, agonized inwardly, knowing that he had intentionally hurt his sentimental teacher.

Slowly, she murmured, "I thought—"

"Really, Yamaguchi. Since when did you think correctly?"

The passing breeze suddenly felt colder. Her pigtails slapped against her neck in wild disarray but she only stared at Shin who was lying comfortably on the bench. Did she really hear correctly? Was that really Shin—the smug Shin Sawada—that she knew?

_No. It must be just the drink. _

Finally, Kumiko forced a cough and shook her head disbelievingly."You're a bad drinker."

"And you're a bad teacher."

Automatically, a lump formed on her throat and she felt like crying. Instead, Kumiko gave an undignified sniff. She would never, ever cry! Not ever over a stupid redheaded student who called her a bad teacher!

Shin listened with closed eyes as Kumiko left the rooftop wordlessly. He noted the faint squeak of her rubber shoes, and her treading manner. He would have felt better had she punched his nose, or slapped him senseless. He wished she would bang the door behind her, just some indicator of her anger. But she did neither; even going so far as to closing the door silently as though wary of disturbing him.

Shin stared up longer at the slowly passing clouds for a few more minutes. What happened? He managed to make her smile, and laugh. And he just had to be a fucking bastard at the end. Shaking his head in self-disgust, he slowly stood up and followed the path she took to the classroom below.

**ooo0oOo0ooo**

**How was it? I know yah people might hate me for this chapter but this is really part of the events. Please tell me what you think.**

**Hotdogs?**

**Spices?**

**Flatworms? (Where the hell did this come from?)**

**Please review!**


	6. Reconciliation

**Whew! Finally!**

**Ooh, I really am so sorry it took me so long to update. As I've mentioned at the heading of the last chapter, I've been very busy. Quizzes and assignments and activities were eating me up, literally. I thought I'd finish this chappie before I get even more flooded. So there!**

**Yay! Thanks for all those encouraging reviews! You don't know how they all mean to me! I'll try to update as soon as I can, so please bear with me? I will finish this fic!**

**As usual, if you note any errors (spelling, grammar, etc), please notify me so that I may mend them immediately. **

**Oh, I almost forgot the disclaimer so….**

Gokusen ain't mine, never was, never will be.

**Without further ado, here is the 6th installment! Chow!**

**

* * *

**

**Reconciliation**

Inwardly as she moved slowly through the dark staircase, a strong feeling of indignation began seeping into the teacher's head. Soon, she decided that she _was_ fuming. How dare he speak to her that way? _Kids these days, _she spat decidedly. _If they ain't idiotic and rebellious, they're stupid and disrespectful! A whole bunch o' assholes, they are!_

But of course, she knew that it was unfair to think of all teens in that general belief. Not all of them were idiots, really.

"Of course they aren't!" she simmered indignantly, stomping onto the corridor. The nearing sounds of shouting and shrieks escaped her ears as she murdered Sawada again and again with her grandfather's katana in her imagination. With an exasperated sigh, she added before swinging the door open. "My kids are nice. Sawada's pro'ly just a bad influence—" But the idea died on her lips as the first angelical hymn reached her sensitive ears.

"FOCKIN' SHITHEAD—"

It took her a full minute to register the catastrophe before her eyes. Had she been a lesser human being, she would have fainted on the spot. Fortunately, or rather unfortunately, she wasn't, and so Kumiko was glued to her place, staring with an appalled and eye-popping stare that would have rivaled Inuzuka's scary expression.

Words were not enough to describe the scene. The nearest thing that did pop into the rookie teacher's head was "brawl" but it was too much of an understatement. The fact that every student was busily punching, kicking, and shitting any person they could grasp into one cyclical mess was just too—unorganized to the eye of a math teacher, alternatively a yakuza ojou. It didn't help that Inuzuka, sporting a huge black-eye that made his scary-face even scarier, was flailing and hitting any one within reach with his baseball bat while lying flat on his back. Crowding (hitting and getting hit, mainly) above him was Uchi and Minami, both sporting and spitting a lost tooth or two. Noda was on one corner getting pumped by two or three more students, who were likewise hitting each other. Kuma was lying unconscious (sleeping?) somewhere, getting stepped on or serving as a cushion to flying and falling students. Other students were even wielding broken chair legs! To her utter dismay, even Tsuruta, grunting in gorilla-like rage, joined the madness as he circled someone overhead and threw it across a bloody pile (of more 3-4 students).

Of course, their "brawl" consisted of so much shouting and cursing, add up the thuds and bangs; it was so loud the gods would've done mass genocide just to shut their ruckus. Kumiko wondered why no one came to reprimand the noise.

_Even Baldy's alien half would've melted at the sight, _she observed wryly and sidestepped agilely to avoid another torpedoed student. _What the—did no one see me coming?_

She sighed and cleared her throat. "Hey—"

"BASTARD! EAT MY—"

"H-hey! I'm back. I'm here—"

Whack! "_Yer dick's so small yah coulda peed through yer nose—"_

"YAH SUCKING—" Blag! "PIECE O'—" Crack! "SHIT!"

Jumping over a fallen object/student. "Hey, stop it—"

"YAH, ASSHOLE! Yah bashed my Gameboy!"

"_It ain't even yours—"_

_Hello? _She gritted internally. _Lookie here! _"I'm baaack—"

Thug! "I'M NOT TALKIN' TO Y—"

"Hey—GIMME THAT BAT!"

Stomping to the front, she strained. "—hey! I said quiet!"

Thump! "NOOO!"

"FUCK! Damm—"

"**RAHHHH! I said,** **SHUT UP, YAH BUMBLING IDIOTS!**"

That masculine/feminine roar (they couldn't determine what kind of voice it was) followed with a loud bang caught everyone's attention. All their bloody hatred transformed to sweaty fear as they saw a devil-faced Yankumi burning with rage. Their eyes almost popped when they saw that her fist was buried through the blackboard. In the heated spoils of war, a cold gust of wind entered through the windows and everyone shuddered.

"G-GAHH!" shrieked Uchi, spit flying in all directions. "Yankumi, we didn't see you!"

Inuzuka returned to his usual cute face and wailed, pointing to the freckled teen. "He started it! He was trying to follow you and—!"

"Whaddya sayin'? You bashed my Gameboy!"

"Yeah, how come you put a freak of nature in charge?" demanded Minami.

"_He _started the fight!" joined Kuma who had woken from the roar. "He started hitting us—"

Someone interjected. "Hey, Yankumi, Noda here stole my cookie bar—"

"Fuck. How many times do I have to tell yah that it was a frickin acci—"

"Accident my cock!"

"Yankumi! He started it—"

"No! He did—he took my—"

"—that sucker touched my tits!" added Terada, pointing to Kinoshita, his usually handsome face swollen.

"—was an accident! You don't even _have _tits."

"Yankumi—!"

"—Yankumi!"

"YANKUMI!"

**BANG!**

Everyone flinched again as she buried her fist loudly through the blackboard again. Slowly, she unclenched her hand, flecks and splinters falling from her skin and scattering to the ground, and moved it from the board and rested it on the table. They could hardly see the dark expression on her face, and they couldn't help but sweat as they anticipated another whack. But they were hardly prepared for her next words.

"**Yah amateurs!**" she exploded and they all flinched though the same question wandered through their heads. _Amateurs?_

"Is that what yah call a fight?"

Again they all stared.

She continued zealously. "If yah were caught in a yakuza shootout you'd all be **_corpses_** by now! I've been wantin' to tell yah a long time ago and I just remembered—yer all lousy fighters. That looked more like a sleazy brawl—kids in third grade woulda done better. And who was hittin' who? I can't believe this! How are yah gonna survive, huh! No wonder yah guys always get beaten up by other schools! And—"

As she continued her rant, the bloodied students of Class 3-4 looked as though she suddenly grew horns on her head. _What the fuck is she _**saying**?

"—was not the proper way to hit a person! You won't be injuring any fly if you hold 'em like that! Another is—"

"Why don't you teach us then?" came a soft drawl from the doorway which made Kumiko jump.

In the chaos of the classroom, no one noticed his arrival. He leaned lazily at the doorway, smug as ever with hands tucked deep into his pockets. A hardly readable expression marked his face but she could swear there was a hint of amusement along the corners of his mouth. Her eyes widened for a moment and she wondered how long he had been there.

"E—eh?" she squeaked. _That'd blow my cover!_

He sighed exasperatedly. "You called us amateurs. So why don't you give us a "professional" tips to learn from?"

It took 3-4 a moment to register Shin's words before Uchi broke the silence. "Yeah! I'm GO for whatever Shin says!"

"W-wait! Does Yankumi even _know_ how to fight?" asked Minami doubtfully.

Tsuruta and Inuzuka shuddered while Shin smirked. "Maybe. Why don't you ask her?"

Someone sniggered from the back, and a single vein twitched in her forehead. Do they really have to underestimate her too much?

_Duh! _Smacked the voice of practicality in her head. _Isn't that how it's supposed to be?_

"Ah—yeah—ah, I mean—n-no! I dunno how!" she stuttered, realizing her foolishness.

"Eh? But weren't yah just tellin' us 'bout the right moves and—"

"SHUT UP! I mean—hehe—no, gods no! I just ah, yah know, saw that from—from—"

"Yakuza movies," supplied Shin, with a slight smile.

"Ye—yeah. From movies. Yah know, it's like—washa!" and proceeded to sloppily demonstrating the lamest moves possible, adding more "washas" after every strike. "See? I can't teach yah anything like that, neh?" She punctuated her sentence with a severely false laugh.

"Um. Yeah. We see now, Yankumi," said Uchi, hoping Kumiko would stop creeping him out.

"If yah don't believe me, see Wife of the Yakuza, episode 35, oh, and then there's a really action-packed scene—episode 58…and…"

While she blabbered incoherently, Shin sighed and gave silent orders to clean the room up. "Hey, Yamaguchi," he murmured to her privately, gesturing her to go with him. She raised a brow, her irritation returning. She can't easily forgive him for insulting her.

"Why should I?" she snapped.

He sighed. "Don't be stupid. You're acting childish."

"Heh. Don't act all mature-ish on me, Sawada. You'll always be just a kid."

Shin grated his teeth and smirked to hide the pain in his features. "Think what you like." In the most offhanded manner possible, he shrugged and walked out of the room.

"That kid!" fumed Kumiko. Feeling a dozen and more pairs of eyes staring at the back of her head, she looked around and saw her students staring at her strangely. "What?"

Uchi gave her a goofy smile while Kuma grinned. Does she look _that_ weird? Has the world gone flat? _Is my chest that flat? _She wanted to scream in irritation.

"Minami. Spit," the boy shook his head.

"Noda? Kuma—you!" They both retreated, the bigger boy muttering something about wanting to pee.

Just as she was about to explode a fresh bomb of threats, Uchi spoke, much to her relief.

"Hehe. Y'know Yankumi, looking at you 'n Shin talking like that…yah know, it makes me wonder..."

"—actually, it makes us all wonder." Added Inuzuka from a corner.

"Shut up, yah crap!"

"What?" The relief she felt earlier was dying with the dreaded suspense. _C'mon. Why can't yah just tell me I look shitty and move on with it?_

With a dramatic breath, Uchi batted his lashes dreamily, "You look like a couple."

"Uh, ok—WHAT?" Kumiko stared, flabbergasted.

Noda nodded. "Yeah. More like a couple on an LQ, or something."

Her head spun. Was she really hearing this? "LQ?"

"Geez, Yankumi. LQ—love quarrel. Seriously, are you that _old_?"

"So, Yankumi," grinned a black-eyed Minami. "Are you—you know—really with Shin?"

"C'mon—we ain't tellin' no one!" screamed some freak from the back. Kumiko felt heat and ire rise from the roots of her hair.

"W-what are you saying?" gulped Kumiko. Everything felt like a weird horror movie—only she wasn't frightened, only unsettled, and this was what scared her. In the height of her confusion, she struck the table with her bat (everyone forgot about it) and screamed. "Enough! Just clean yourself up or you'll spend the rest of the afternoon running on burning coals!"

"That. Was. Weird." muttered Uchi dully when the teacher made her fast exit.

"Damn right that was. That bitch is crazed," wondered Minami shaking his head.

"Hehe, bet ya'll she just escaped so she can't answer us," added Noda.

"Oi, yah brat, what are yah doing with that bat?" Inuzuka was inching towards the bat that Kumiko left on the table.

"Uh—ah, just thought that—that—" the boy sweated.

Kuma stood up and dusted his pants. "Never mind that. Let's clean this all up."

"Yeah. Shin told us. Almost forgot."

"I don't wanna run on any coals," wailed Terada.

Tsuruta was already straitening the chairs and patching up the windows while muttering with an almost zombie-reminiscent mantra. "Obey, obey, I'll obey…"

"What the hell's wrong with that guy?" whispered Uchi.

"The cootie's gone to his head."

"Gah. Let's just clean up. Royal Couple's orders."

The boys, including Inuzuka, looked at each other and sniggered.

ooo0O0ooo

His keen ears picked up fast approaching steps; she finally came. Shin knew her too well to know that she would come for him. Butterflies fluttered at his stomach; he still wasn't sure why he wanted to talk to her. He had done something wrong—he had insulted their friendship, insulted her. He didn't want any war to be waged between them; if he let it go as it was, they would be estranged and he didn't want that. But how should he apologize?

_Apologies are for fools, _muttered his old philosophy and he bit his lip. This was no time for pride.

Kumiko materialized in front of him, and coldly examined him, arms akimbo. He suddenly felt more nervous.

"You came," he uttered lazily, fighting to remain calm. _Shit. I don't sound sorry._

The pigtailed woman raised a brow, clearly irritated by his coolness. "You wanted to talk to me. Spill it."

The atmosphere went ominously cold. "I wanted to tell you that…"

There was a long pause; Kumiko felt the first strains of impatience. "What?"

_Tell her you're sorry!_

_Shut up! I'm at it!_

"...uh, that you shouldn't be too obvious," He slapped himself mentally. _What?_

"_What?_!" The limber woman in front of him looked like a blowfish, all too ready to blow.

"I mean, you're too obvious. If you really don't want anyone to know who you are, I think you should sharpen your senses a bit." He agonized as the words fell shockingly out of his mouth. It was mostly blabber; he was still slightly loose-tongued, thanks to his hangover. Mentally, he swore never to get drunk again, unless he felt like it.

"You're acting skills need some practice," he added, not sure how to make sense.

_Damn it. What the hell is wrong with me? _The headache that never left him pounded his skull more than ever.

A large green vein throbbed on her forehead. She advanced menacingly at him, anger freely flying in waves. "Oh, so everything comes down to this, huh? First you disown our relationship, then call me a bad teacher, and now you say I need practice? You know what I think?" There was a sharp pain and a crack as her open palm came in contact with his face. The slap doubled, tripled the pain in his head; his eyes watered. But Shin felt too stunned to react. It was his fault after all. "Screw you," she added spitefully.

On her side, Kumiko made an internal cringe. "Screw you" didn't exactly sound mature, nor did it sound like something she would say in normal circumstances. Nor did the fact that it was the first time that she had ever intentionally physically inflict injury upon her redheaded friend—student. She sighed. How did it all start again? She wasn't really sure. All she knew was that last night brought her to a bad mood, even though the best thing that could possibly happen in her adulthood—that is, Shinohara's unexpected proposal—happened. _Do bad things happen when you get what you want? _She thought dolefully.

A question drowned her skull on impact. _Is it what you really want or was it just something you wanted a long time ago?_

"I've no time for this," she muttered furiously to him and to herself. With a last disgusted look at him, she turned to leave. With that movement, Shin, as though in a daze, woke up in a snap.

"Yamaguchi, I'm not finished with you yet," he strained, hoping that she would stay long enough to hear him shatter his pride.

"I _am _finished with you, Sawada," came her voice dangerously. "Goodbye. And I do not want to see you meddling with any of my affairs again."

His plan was falling apart. _This is it. She is leaving—and she'll go to her Shinohara later and give her answer…_

This thought was just the right formula to destroy his doubts. Standing up, he stumbled into a run and, in one breathless, thoughtless moment, pulled her by the waist into his arms.

_Thud-ud. Thud-ud. _The blood was pounding too loudly into his ears, and Shin wondered if she felt the same. Slowly, he buried his nose into her nape and sighed shakily; he had never done anything as stupid and as liberating as this before. Inhaling her fresh scent was enough to restore a thread of bravery into his senses. Hiding his head down into her jacketed shoulder, he muttered. "Kumiko, I'm sorry."

Kumiko Yamaguchi was speechless. She couldn't move, she could hardly breathe, her heart was beating too loudly and too fast to be recognized as heartbeat. This element of surprise was just too much for her. His words seemed to echo in her head: _Kumiko, I'm sorry. Kumiko, I'm sorry. Kumiko, I'm—_

Her breath caught in her throat as his warm breath wafted through the sides of her neck. All her frustration, anger and disappointment seemed to evaporate as she unwittingly savored the contact. The tension and stress of last night and the morning's lack of sleep and occurrences seemed to die, too. She felt him nuzzle the side of her neck and she bit back a groan. Thousands of other emotions and thoughts rallied in her skull. _This is wrong. This is just wrong! I'm a—I'm a—_

_What? An ojou?_

_A teacher!_

_There is nothing wrong with a hug, _came a familiar sneaky voice.

…_embrace._

—_brotherly hug._

…_affectionate embrace._

…_warm…_

…_comforting._

_Shin…_she gulped.

Shin snapped his eyes open. The adrenaline rush was slowly dying in him, but he still didn't want to pull away from her. Reason pointed out that hugging his teacher in school grounds would be damaging for her reputation. If she wouldn't hate him for holding her (_of course she would, stupid_), she would definitely hate him for sullying her good reputation as a teacher. Reluctantly, he snaked his arms away from her waist and promptly clenched his hands in his pockets.

When she turned around to face him, he saw that redness was spread across her face reaching her ears, and hung his head. He probably looked much worse than that. "I—whatever I said at the rooftop, I didn't mean it."

Kumiko nodded numbly. "Hnn." _Sawada, is that all you have to say?_

As if reading her mind, he muttered. "That's all."

Uncomfortable silence lapsed between them. Shin frowned in discomfort. "I don't care if you don't forgive me. I've said my piece, is all."

To his annoyance and surprise, Kumiko suddenly burst out laughing. He raised a brow, feeling himself redden to the roots of his red hair. "What?"

"N-nothing," said Kumiko between gasps. "It's just that you look so—so funny when you're tryin' to be contrite."

He made a face. "I'm not contrite."

"You are! Haha! Don't try to be in denial!" She continued to laugh lustily at him, enjoying his obvious discomfort. Shin heard her hiccup and he had to look up at her again. Tears were swelling on her eyes and there were pink puffs on her cheeks. Snot trailed from one nostril; Shin wasn't sure whether to feel sorry for her or laugh.

"You really are a stupid kid," she sniffed.

He shrugged. "So I've heard. Stop crying, will you? You're too sentimental." Without thinking, he pulled his hand from his pocket and tried to brush the wetness from her face, snot included.

This time, it was her turn to make a face. "So what? It's one of my charms. That's why you like me so much." Her eyes widened, and she wondered where the idea came from. _Duh! You always tease him. What makes this so different?_

There was a strange expression in his face as he stared at her. The fact that his palm was still pressed against her cheek was not helping.

Finally, he retracted his hand from her, and she felt both relieved and disappointed. And cold.

"Don't you have a class to teach?" he reminded.

"Oh!" Kumiko slapped her forehead. "Damn, I almost forgot!"

"You really forgot."

She ignored him. "3-2's my next. You better take care of your classmates for me. You're all in trouble if the room ain't fixed."

As he watched her run off, he contentedly buried his fists further in his pockets. Her words came back to him as he made his way to 3-4's classroom.

_That's why you like me so much_, she had said.

"You have no idea," he breathed. "None at all."

* * *

**Wait, I need to get a protective shield before you throw anything at me. For those expecting a lengthier span of argument between 'em (like 2 or 3 more chaps), sorry if this is disappointing. Hehe, anyways, there will be more to come despite this slow development.**

**How was it?**

**Carrots?**

**Jackfruits?**

**Durians?**

**Fly papers? (Uhh, I'm not sure where this came from.)**

**Please review!**


	7. The Turning Point

**Hello, everybody!**

**Okay, okay. I know I promised to be prompt with updates and everything—but it's just so busy recently! Lot's of quizzes and projects again, books too read—gah! Just too much! And before long I kinda forgot about updating…Sorry, sorry! **

**Am I forgiven? I will try to update sooner next time!**

**Anyways, thanks for all those encouraging reviews from the last chapter! I really appreciated it all. But I really want to know what you think about this chapter. I think I may be guilty of being OOC in lotsa places here…but I just couldn't help it! Just tell me what you think! You may hate me, coz hey! It is part of being an aspiring writer neh? Being hated? **

**Though I do hope you don't hate me too much…**

**Ahem…anyways, here is the next installment! Read and…have fun!**

**

* * *

**

**The Turning Point**

It has been three weeks since their explosion at the rooftop, and unexpected reconciliation in the corridor. Three weeks of uneasy expectations. Three weeks of awkward moments, when they occasionally met at the rooftop or at the classroom, together. Three weeks of waiting, and not waiting, for something to happen. But nothing did. Always, their conversations remained friendly—but awkward, as though there was an unspoken agreement to avoid the topic known to both of them. In fact, Kumiko would abruptly withdraw whenever she felt too comfortable with him, and Shin, though somewhat panged by her actions, understood her and left her alone.

The times she spent avoiding Shin was always full of regret. Aside from her family, Shin was the only other person who understood her. She respected him for his unprejudiced opinions of her flaws and ill-judgments on certain matters. Even his smug quietness was sometimes a source of comfort and confidence. His presence was companionable and easy. With Shin there was no need for too many words, there was no need to impress and, she felt that he would always be a ready shoulder. But despite all these qualities which she valued in him, the teacher decided it best for both their peace of minds—especially hers—to make a gradual detachment.

Then why, thought Kumiko wryly, am I standing hidden in the corridor of my own house, looking secretly at my student like a shy high-school girl?

And she mused argumentatively. _Whenever had she been a shy high-school girl?_

The direction of her gaze remained unflickering as he sat down tiredly in the middle of the training mat, drenched with sweat. Her keen eyes noted the miniscule particles of water that flew in the air as he shook his head furiously. There was something about him that mesmerized her. And for the umpteenth time, she wondered if it had something to do with the few close calls between them, most involving bodily contact and closeness.

Suddenly waking in a snap, she berated herself with a sharp hiss. _Yamaguchi! That **boy **is your **student**! Your student…_

A small voice teased in the back of her mind. _Ha! But you're in love with him!_

_I am not!_

As she debated heatedly with herself, Shin squinted at the direction of the half-open sliding door and saw no one. He visibly shrugged and lay down on the mat the sweat himself out. Now, decided Kumiko, I'll go in there and talk to him—prove that I don't have nothing for him. Because I don't love him _that_ way.

"Hey—Sawada." Came her voice uncertainly. In sudden impulse, she found herself strolling casually in the room until she was towering above him.

Shin smiled inwardly; he knew it was her standing behind the wooden doors, pretending to be some non-existent observer. She could never conceal herself from him.

Without opening his eyes, he muttered an uninterested "ah".

Confident with his seemingly indifferent greeting, Kumiko grinned down at the redhead lying leisurely on his back. "You're supposed to be training—not slothing about."

The boy cracked an eye open up at her. "Who said anything about slothing?"

"That's what you're doing," she pointed out with a wider grin.

"I think this is what you call "rest". It usually happens after some strenuous workout."

"Ah," she murmured slowly quickly summing the numbers in her mind. "So you call training for just two hours _work_. Tsk. Kyou-san is indeed known for his patience."

Annoyed at her implications, Shin peered up and studied her through a half-opened lid. A very wide smile was a-spread on her face, affecting him in her usual way of affecting him. She really looked cute, standing over him like that. Aside from being mammoth strength, quirky appearance and the teeny detail about her being an ojou, there was nothing really very special about her. She was weird, loud, sentimental, damningly flat-chested—and he loved her. Gods, he thought agonizingly for the thousandth time, why did I have to fall in love with a crazy woman, so obviously beyond me? Instead, he muttered. "What do you want? You didn't come here just to mock your favorite student, did you?"

Kumiko had to laugh in spite of her nervousness. "What else, O _Young-Master-Red-Lion_," Seeing the increasing annoyance in his face, she laughed more loudly and plonked down beside him.

"Don't call me that," he growled.

"Ooh, the _Young-Master-Red-Lion_ is angwee," she continued childishly. Finally relaxing, Kumiko lay down beside him, elbows touching. In spite of himself, Shin had to smile, happy that she was becoming her usual conversational self instead of the monosyllabic person he had to endure for three weeks.

"That is mature," he said sarcastically.

"I know," she sighed dramatically. "It's one of my charms."

The dam finally broke. As though the estrangement never happened, she happily ranted about every possible topic, something she missed doing. Ironically, every possible topic included everything about her family, school, work, the yakuza—even nature—everything but Shinohara. The boy—no, young man—beside her closed his eyes and reveled at their closeness, and listened on the excited tone of her voice, on every pause and breath, rhythmic with his own breath and the very sounds of silence.

"—and then Baldy 2 rolled on grass with Fuji—"

"Gross."

"I thought so, too. And that's when I woke up."

"You have very strange fantasies, Yamaguchi," he chuckled.

"It was a _dream_. I can't control my dreams," she argued then shuddered. "And I wouldn't dare fantasize my dog with that friggin' alien-man."

"A normal person wouldn't fantasize of a _dog _with _anyone_," he said pointedly. "You really have very weird dreams."

"You haven't heard the best of it yet—" she teased.

"I don't think I'd want that."

She pouted sideways at him. "You're a meannie."

Sawada rolled his eyes and smirked. Biting her inner cheek, Kumiko wondered out loud. "Hmm, I've told yah at least four dreams in a row and I haven't heard a single 'un from yah."

"So…?"

"Sooo…tell me."

"Tell you what?" he mused though knowing perfectly well what she was coming at.

"One."

"One what?"

"One bedtime story, I wanna sleep," she said sarcastically. "One _dream_, yah idiot. What else?"

"No," Shin wrinkled his nose. He couldn't possibly tell her that he dreamt of her almost every night, can he?

"Arrgh! Come on! Tell me just one!" she pouted at him again.

Feeling his face redden at the recollection of a very recent dream he muttered with more conviction. "No."

"Oooh!" Kumiko said, wide-eyed. "I saw that! You're blushing!"

"No I'm not," though he felt his cheeks grow hotter.

"Yes you are—you are! Oh, God—what kind of perverted dream have yah got, eh?"

"I don't have perverted dreams!"

"—you sick, sick boy!"

"I'm tellin' yah, I—hey! No—" Kumiko had started tickling his side. His voice came out cracked and slightly high-pitched as she attacked him with ease. Unable to get away, he retaliated, not surprised to see her squirm in laughter. Soon enough, they were both rolling on the mat, an unspoken race of finding ticklish spots racing on both their heads. Thoughts of settling her feelings for Shin were forgotten in their lively play. Shin, on the other hand, enjoyed their game as much as her, though careful to avoid contact with any of her feminine parts.

When they were finally out of breath, the "couple" stretched out once again on the sweat-absorbent mat, panting, with Shin's arms openly bared in a cross and with Kumiko's right leg draped tiredly across his thigh.

"I—didn't know—you were ticklish," muttered Kumiko accusatorily, as though it was some secret that he didn't let her on.

"I didn't—know either," he gasped truthfully.

"Now I know how to get you to come to my class," she said, eyes gleaming mischievously.

Shin cocked his head in her direction and raised a brow. "Whatever."

The woman closed her eyes in a deep breath, listening for his heart beating loudly in symmetry with hers. Her throat constricted in a strange warm feeling, as though her insides wanted to burst out of her. As though she wanted to jump and laugh and cry all together. She wondered what it was, and suddenly it struck her: she was happy. With a smile, she murmured impulsively, "I missed you."

For a second, she anticipated him asking how she could possibly have missed him when they always saw each other at school and, whenever he trained, at the house. But the question never came; he knew what she was talking about. It was something deeper than physical absence that they missed on—it was a connection much deeper than mere expression of words and greetings.

A sigh escaped his lips as he looked at her peaceful, sweat-drenched face adoringly. He wondered how he could possibly allow himself to pull down his passive façade with this woman. It was so out of character. Deep inside, he knew how he had always feared hurt, turning instead to rationality and empiricism—a world void of emotion. Now, he was slowly un-building that wall—because of her.

And for this reason, he found his hand reaching for her own, for the sake of touching—of closeness so real and tangible. When Kumiko's eyes opened, she found herself drowning in his own dark depths, a myriad of unspoken feelings she never knew affecting her. She was suddenly most aware of the fact that her leg was really draped across his lower half—just aware of their skins touching, blood pulsating, the comfy nearness. The swirl of emotions—happiness, strangeness, fear, anticipation and much more she couldn't name—gripped her, she could hardly breathe. What was it? Reason seemed to question though she felt the answer was there, looking her at the eye. What _is_ it?

Kumiko found herself licking her suddenly dry lips. "Shin—I—"

"Ojou—" The voice coming from the other room made them immediately break contact. By the time the door slid open, they were at the opposite corners of the mat, conscious of two new, familiar presences in the room.

"Ah, you're here. Look who came to visit, ojou," Kyou failed to note the odd distance between the two, the flushed skins, and the nervousness hanging thin in the air. But Shinohara's critical senses picked up every detail, including outline of two recent weights rested earlier in the middle of the mat.

"Good evening, Kumiko."

Batting her eyes as though waking from a dream, Kumiko stood up unsteadily. "Shinohara-sensei! I didn't know you would come tonight!" Pushing the guilty emotions she had felt earlier to make room for him, she ran gaily off the mat and to him. With a grin, she said with mock affectation. "And what, O great Shinohara-sensei, does the house of Kuroda owe to be graced with this honorable visit?"

"Nothing," replied Shinohara evenly with a small smile. "Perhaps he wishes to enjoy the company of one such strong and lovely woman to his eyes."

Kumiko was taken aback, not used to hearing him talk like this. An uneasy feeling seemed to fill her stomach. Eyes widening, she exclaimed to ease the tension from her body. "E-eh! Shinohara-sensei, be serious!"

"I could never be more serious, Kumiko," he insisted suavely, locking her eyes in his, and in one smooth motion, he took each of her hands in his and pecked her cheek. At this, the teacher had to bite her lower lip; how can she not feel anything special for the man now? She used to feel giddy with every bit of attention from him—how come there was nothing now?

Meanwhile, Shin drilled holes on the two oblivious people who seemed to be talking happily. A wave of intense hate and jealousy made him feel nauseated, and he had to clench his fist to keep in control. Does his existence inside the room even matter to them? Does his existence, in general, even matter to her? How can she act as though nothing _almost_ happened between them? He could hardly believe that a few minutes earlier, _he _was the one bantering with her, _he_ was the one who received her smiles, listened to her laughter, _he_ was the one who held her hand and looked deeply into her eyes. He was the one with her. He almost—he already bared his heart out at her, held it gingerly on his hands in offering. Now, he felt as though she just gobbled it up and moved on.

His rational mindset jibed him—don't be sentimental. It doesn't suit you.

"Oi, Young Master." Shin looked up, surprised that he didn't notice Kyou come close to him. There was an almost sympathetic smile on his face—which he both resented and welcomed. "Come on, it's best to cool down outside on the yard after training—the air'll be good for yah." Nodding hollowly, he allowed himself to be pulled up by the older man.

"Ah, Sawada," said Shinohara deliberately as Shin and Kyou passed them by the door. "Are you being a good student to your teacher?"

Shin saw her squirm uncomfortably at the reference. He squarely met the lawyer's calculating gaze and answered. "Ask her. Why don't you let her be the better judge?" He shrugged, earning a chuckle from the older man.

"Why don't you stay for dinner?"

"I think I'll be staying even without your invitation."

"Good. You know, it's nice to get to actually know some of Kumiko's great students. It would be a pity if we don't get along…being that I am part of the family."

"Hehe, you don't have to worry 'bout missin' our Lion!" interjected Kyou with a laugh. "He's as good as family, so said ojou just the other day, din't yah say so, ojou?"

The two other men simultaneously looked at Yamaguchi: the older one studying her reaction, the younger outwardly passive but inwardly hopeful. She gulped and avoided any eyes, especially _his_. "Ah, yes…of course, Sawada is family. Yes—" she said with an uneasy laugh. "You will be—both—seeing each other. A lot."

"I see. So there won't be any missing out," with a cool smile, Shinohara focused his gaze at the redhead in an unspoken challenge. "I will be looking forward to that."

Returning the look, Shin answered with a smirk. "Yes. I think I will."

**Oo0OoO0ooO**

Kumiko was silent and rather oblivious to the seemingly "casual" conversation between them, reacting only when she referred to or mentioned; she was too caught in mentally punching herself for allowing her emotions to get carried away.

When the other two were out of the room, the teacher was finally left alone with the lawyer. The lawyer? She thought wryly. Why am I suddenly calling him "the lawyer"? He used to be _my lawyer_!

With Shin out of the room, the weird tension was gone but her discomfort cloaked her more than ever. Again and again, her thoughts ran to the redhead and the "almost" thing that always seemed to happen when they were alone or together.

_What is wrong with me? _cried a voice in her head.

"Kumiko, are you okay?" Startled, she glanced up and met Shinohara's dark studious gaze and realized that she had been frowning and staring at the floor for some minutes now.

She laughed and rubbed the back of head abashedly. "I'm fine. Nothing's wrong with me."

Yes. Nothing is wrong with me, she decided and firmly pulled her thoughts away from Sawada Shin, punctuating her self-imposed intentions by shyly lacing her fingers through Shinohara's large but slender hands. Shinohara raised a brow in surprise which fluidly transformed into a smile so discreet it could have been a smirk. In turn, he raised her hand to her mouth and kissed it lingeringly, making her flush. When she tried to pull away, he held on and murmured softly. "My dear Kumiko, I am willing to take things slow with you. Marriage is a tough decision, and I want us to know each other better—"

"But we already know each other," she interrupted, and bit her tongue; she didn't want him to think that she was considering him when—she wasn't sure of herself.

Thankfully, he ignored her rash statement. However, he took that opportunity to weave a hand across her back to pull her close to him. She was almost irritated and confused by his movement but the intense look on his eyes, though not completely drowning the flash of imperious intelligence, held her completely. "I need you to know me better—to know _us_ better, so that you could feel more confident in giving me your answer. I know I haven't exactly made my intentions known to you in the earlier part of our acquaintance but I am willing to make amends. Please let me do this, Kumiko. Let me."

Her heart thudded in nervousness—she could certainly not refuse him, not when he was holding her this close, not when he trapped her in his hypnotic gaze, especially not when he was obviously sincere. Something twisted inside her and she could hardly breathe. Wordlessly, she nodded. When his mouth claimed hers for the second time that day, she hardly felt it or appreciated it; instead the knot seemed to twist tighter on her insides and vague realization told her that it was something more akin to discomfort than love. A smile—sincere and triumphant—rose in lawyer's face as he pulled away from her, and Kumiko found herself relaxing simultaneously with the withdrawal of Shinohara's arm from her waist.

"Good," he said simply.

"Uh…good," she repeated feeling slightly annoyed by the look on his face and ruffled by the quickness of the occurrences despite his insistence on going slow. To occupy her rampaging emotions, she scuffed her feet on the tatami, oblivious to the return of the sharp studious look in the lawyer's eyes.

**Oo0OoO0ooO**

When Shinohara left after dinner, which turned out to be pleasantly uncomfortable, awkward to everyone (except Kuroda, who seemed perfectly at ease with everything), the teacher challenged her student to a game of chess. And so, that was how, a few more minutes later, they were seen by a passing Kyou, who smiled at their rapt attention to their pieces. He grinned at his own foolishness; he thought a heated argument would ensue between the two. Though her ojou never told any particulars about her relationship with the Young Master, he easily sensed the tension between them. When he saw Shin's reaction to Shinohara earlier that evening, he felt more convinced that the two were finally testing the paths beyond friendship, unconsciously or not.

If it were any other men, the Young Chief would have felt protective and boned the immediate suitor. But it was Sawada Shin—a boy he could trust. A young man, he corrected himself, who proved himself in the eyes of the Kuroda household with his loyalty for her teacher. The man that he knew would be the next heir to the kumi. With a grim smile as he greeted the two, he decided, _Better this young man than that lawyer._

Of course, Kyou didn't hate Shinohara. In fact, though the lawyer was years younger than he was, he respected and liked him. But this didn't change the fact that Shinohara was a "shady" persona—even under yakuza standards. No one really knew his intentions—except for the boss, and he wouldn't tell anyone. And, even now, he still couldn't decide if his feelings for their ojou was genuine.

_There was still that thing, too,_ he gritted his teeth. Everyone knew how Kumiko pined for the man for years; he knew it was inward torture for Kuroda's youngling when he would ignore her attentions. And now, catching wind of competition…he grimaced in contempt, something he felt partially for the lawyer. He felt indignation for the young woman whose childhood he had so influenced. Was everything so easy as that—for him to waltz and just propose out of thin air? Had Kumiko accepted? the man wondered. Will she? Glimpsing over his shoulder the two laughing and enjoying their game, he shrugged and smiled wider, already seeing the answer before him.

"Good luck, Young Master," he murmured. "You will certainly need all the gods' luck on yer side." With a definite shrug, he left out the gate to do his usual night patrols, feeling certain and contented over the expected outcome of the events.

**Oo0OoO0ooO**

"Checkmate," muttered Shin nonchalantly, the twinkle in his eye failing to veil his personal satisfaction. Yamaguchi bristled and scowled at his look.

"Overconfident ass."

"So winners are 'overconfident asses' now?" A full grin was spread across his lips and she had to pout to keep herself from grinning as well.

"Hrrmph! Don't get so cocky, fool. This is just one game—beginner's luck more like. The next time, you'll be sprawling on the floor, bawlin' for your ma."

He set his elbows on the table and crossed his fingers, looking directly at her challengingly. "Oh, so there is a 'next time'?"

A slow smile spread on her lips as her eyes locked with his. How she enjoyed Shin's company! "Of course! Do you think I'd let you off easy?"

She laughed and he shook his head ruefully at her. They simultaneously took the fallen pieces from the table and carefully placed it inside the compartment under the chessboard. From his peripheral vision, he could see her long black hair sliding loosely on her shoulders; he seldom saw her with her hair let down. Needless to say, his next words made him want to slap himself.

"I like your hair."

Kumiko's eyes widened at him as though he had grown two heads.

_I like your hair? Fuck. That sounded so gay._

Fortunately, he seemed to have said the right thing. She smiled and ran her hands over one side, a happy flush staining her cheeks. "Eh? You think so?"

Shin sighed and shrugged in response. But that answer was enough to make her smile even wider. Feeling nicely comfortable with him, Kumiko looked out through the open doors at the moonlit garden. There was something magical about the peaceful night, making her want to say anything, think of anything. And in a quiet voice, she said. "You know, my—my ma used to say that to me all the time, too."

His eyes darted to her face, searching for signs of emotion. She seldom brought up the topic of her own parents to him. The smile on her face, though happy, seemed sad as well. But it was gone as soon as it came. "Of course, I've heard it from other people as well. From my high school and college pals, not that there was many, then sometimes Kyou and even grandpa."

There was no response to this and for a moment, she thought her companion had fallen asleep, but when she looked sideways, there he was, still awake and apparently listening to her every word. With a sigh, she rolled on. "You know, this is really nice. We should do this more often. Yah know, play chess."

"Yes…play chess."

They were both silent and Kumiko didn't know what else to say. Without thinking, she muttered more to herself than to him. "I wonder…should I wear my hair down like this on my date? I'm not sure Shinohara would notice—he never did mention liking my hair."

At the words "date' and "Shinohara" the magic broke. The look on Shin's face was unreadable. Without knowing why, she felt as though she was a scoundrel, the one responsible for the hurt hiding beneath his expression.

"A date with…him," came his voice hollowly and unemotionally.

"Yes," and for a moment, she thought she saw him slump. Of course it was just her imagination! Shin would never get devastated for her going on dates, wouldn't he? But for some reason, she herself felt sad about the whole thing. But of course, this too was a product of her imagination! She loved Shinohara…didn't she?

Inwardly, Shin felt icy and dead. It was bound to happen eventually, he knew. After all, Shinohara had proposed to her, and though she hadn't given him her word yet, dates were bound to happen. And naturally, her answer would be inevitable. It was only a matter of time now…

Shin Sawada abruptly stood up. "I should be getting home. I still have classes tomorrow."

'Oh…ok." She stood up unsteadily and followed him out to the garden. They walked in silence, arms slightly coming in contact. Both people's thoughts rallied and railed. When they were finally at the gate, Shin turned, and for a moment hesitated, then—

In one swift movement, his better hand was on her nape as he quickly planted his mouth on one corner of her lips. Only, once the contact was made, Shin lost all intention of being quick. Her sweet scent brought clarity to his head enabling him to savor the taste and shape of her lips. He felt quick to explosion, as though his emotions (and, his rational voice whispered, hormones) would burst, but he wanted to do it right—this was the first time he allowed himself to kiss a woman. If this was the first and last time—he would make sure it would be worth it.

The only time Kumiko swooned was when she was sick, and now though not infected by any bacteria, she felt ready to swoon. Swirling feelings rushed at her belly, her stomach, her chest, her throat—even her head was ready to burst. Her legs felt unsteady, and she grasped onto Sawada's arm to keep from falling. His mouth was soft and unsure…and with some surprise, she realized that she was his first kiss. For a brief instant, her mind screamed at her again—_you're his teacher! _But she couldn't resist anymore. She just could not. She responded to his touch, to his movement, and she was vaguely aware of being pushed beside the wooden welcome sign of the Kuroda clan.

Back completely against the wall, she allowed herself to feel his full body against her. She gasped for breath when he briefly pulled away and pulled him back again, eager for fulfillment, wanting and needing that heady feeling which made her head spin over and over. She could feel him shivering against her, and she knew it had nothing to do with the cold. Somehow, she knew she was shivering, too.

It was getting warmer and warmer as Shin unconsciously allowed his hands to trail down her cheeks, her neck, her shoulders, her back...he knew he should stop this—the madness, but he couldn't, knowing and fearing that should he let release her, Shinohara would come waiting in the background with that cool and steady smile on his face. The Kurodas would surely not approve…

That last thought made him snap back to rationality. Reluctantly, he pulled first his mouth, then his arms away from her. The Kurodas treated him as family—it would be the finest act of betrayal, the thing that he was doing right now, kissing their ojou when she was obviously for another man. He could hardly meet the look on her eyes, and though he felt despicable, he could not feel regret for what he had just done.

Clearing his throat, he jerked his head slightly at her and was rewarded by the confused but flushed look on her face. Her black hair, once limp, was now slightly ruffled by the activity and clung to the sides of her face and neck. There was something on her eyes, too, but he never was one to hope for more. With a determined step away from her, he left, but not without saying what he meant to say in the first place.

"Don't wear your hair down on your date. He won't like it."

Stunned, she watched him disappear from the streets, swallowed by the night, knowing beyond doubt that nothing could possibly be the same after.

* * *

**So…what do you think?**

**Yellow phlegm?**

**Green phlegm?**

**_Salmonella_?**

**Or just a good chunk of _Staphylococcus aureus _(pus)?**

**Tell me, please! The review button's just a click away!**


	8. A Simple Case of Mathematics

**HOHOHO! A very late Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you!**

**Neh…I'm so sorry for updating so late! Regardless of a dozen reasons that I won't write down, I am guilty of being an irresponsible updater; it is a sin to keep you all waiting. No reason will probably be good enough to explain myself. I am truly guilty and if possible, my guilt would kill me right then and there. I hope you sufficiently forgive me!**

**Thanks for all the reviews! I really enjoyed reading them all. I'm also glad y'all found his first kiss nice. **Leaviel**'s "gollum comment" was extremely amusing. And **miss koneko**'s bit about Shinohara bein' a "cheeky bugga" was definitely appreciated. , Oh, and some one, I'm not sure who it was, sent me a private message last month (I think). Sorry, I accidentally deleted all the messages in my inbox and it is gone. But thank you for that review and the reminder to update. It convinced me all the more that I shouldn't delay updating. **

**Again, I thank everyone! I love y'all! You've given me the courage when I am at my weakest! (sobs)**

Morimoto: **What the fuck is with that melodrama?**

My10315: **(puzzled) Where did you come from? **

Morimoto: **You forget: Gokusen is mine—only _this _fic is yours! Fwahaha!**

My10315: **Now _you're_ being a cheeky bugga! Takin' a leaf outta my version of Shinohara, huh?**

Morimoto: **(rolls his eyes) I'm just your fictionalized version of Morimoto. The original you copied me from is obviously waaaay better. **

My10315: **I relent! Morimoto is a genius! He owns Gokusen and I never will! (sobs)**

**Without further ado, here is the next installation! Enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

**A Simple Case of Mathematics**

She pressed a plush pillow over her head and groaned as sunlight peered through her windows. Yankumi had hoped that it would never come but the more she willed the dreaded morning to be gone, the more it seemed to egg. And sure as promise, the sun's rays swallowed night hurriedly, like a crowd anticipating the grandest sequel. She rolled to hide her eyes from the oddly cheerful sunlight and violently cursed into her mattress. She was obviously in a black mood, and she wasn't sure if it was because she had not had a whit of sleep, or because of the past night's occurrences—which naturally led to her restlessness.

The pillow was pulled deeper over her head, as though it would protect her from her thoughts, or any inevitability. She breathed once, twice to finally clear her head before gently prodding her mind to process.

_You just got kissed by Sawada Shin. _

Of course,she thought to herself sarcastically. As if last night's torment wouldn't be enough of a reminder!But what she felt was somewhat opposite to contempt. Yankumi shook herself, as though this would easily remove the butterflies moving in her stomach. But she knew even beforehand that it wouldn't as she had wearied herself to the bone busying herself around the house, just to calm the electricity rushing painfully in her veins. Though pacified, the—whatever it was she was feeling—was still alive and pulsating. And of course, there was still one more bothering question lingering in her head.

Why did he kiss you?

_I—I don't know—_

And why did you kiss back?

_I—_

Do you love him?

_Am I in love with him?_

The question more than sent a jolt of fear in her. It was a radical idea—it was not right of a teacher of her ideals! After all, she was in love with Shinohara, she argued furiously. "It was a fluke then. Nothing but a fluke, yes. A fluke," she murmured to herself, repeating it like a mantra. But why did she feel like—like she wanted it to be real?

In a mad fit, Yankumi showered her poor bed with a myriad of punches whilst screaming repeatedly "RAGH! Damn you! Damn you! Damn you! DIE!" that her adopted brothers, who were just coming up the stairs cautiously to wake her up, cowered in front of her door as though it would explode.

"Oi," stomped Wakamatsu, his voice becoming louder as he followed them up some minutes later. "I told ya to—"

"DIEEEE!"

A thin sheen of sweat suddenly appeared on his forehead but he gulped his fear hurriedly and squarely looked his two subordinates in the eye. "N-neh. It's alright. You know ojou—remember the last time she dreamed she was a boxer? Just wake her up and she'll snap outta that."

No one needed reminding that "last time" rewarded several black eyes, a broken nose for Tetsu, and a lost tooth for Minoru. Wordlessly, before any one could think to object, Wakamatsu slinked away and prayed for the live-ins' souls.

"Go on. You first—" pushed Tetsu.

"No, you—" retaliated Minoru, throwing Tetsu's wide back near the door.

In panicked frenzy, Tetsu punched the skinnier man and said a bit too loudly. "Hey, that hurt!"

Soon enough, they were grappling each other, quite forgetting the amount of noise they were doing over the much disputed door. That is, until it was opened by the ominous owner, wild-haired and flaring with unspent energy. Before the two could explain themselves, Kumiko roared, pulled the two into her room and, after a few minutes of agonized screaming which made the old Kuroda sigh at his morning tea and a heavily drunk Kyou wide awake, threw them outside in a heap.

Needless to say, they had better mornings, and this one was just not one of them.

**oo0oO0Oo0oo**

Shin sneezed loudly into his handkerchief for the fifth time that morning. He quickly wiped away the gathering snot with a tissue and blew his nose roughly. He stared at the greenish glue; oddly, he was reminded of those times he'd seen Kumiko crying, a thin line of wetness rolling idly off one nostril. He wrinkled his nose before crumpling the tissue and throwing it on the trash can. Funny how snot and Yankumi could connect. But it was really much like her.

He squirmed at the remembrance of her—of last night in particular. Though he knew he should feel a tinge of remorse over the rashness of his actions, he honestly could not. Most importantly, he couldn't remove the fact that she responded to him; inexperienced as he was, he knew she wanted it too. The way she touched him and pulled him back to her, the audible pounding of her heart against his chest, the tremors of her body, the mingling movement of her mouth against his—these all too loudly told him how she felt. And yet it was too good to be true!

_Fool! _He admonished. _It could easily be impulse—women are impulsive creatures._

_What if it is not impulse? Then…_

Shin shook his head and shielded his hand from the sunlight. His thoughts followed him even as he walked towards Shirokin High. _She will still marry him. She won't like me because I'm young, because I'm her student, because I—_

"Oi, Shin-chan!" came a large familiar voice huffing to catch up. Shin sighed; both relieved and annoyed to be cut from his train of thought.

"Ah," he muttered nonchalantly and noted the arrival of his other peers as well. "You guys're pretty early today."

"I tagged 'em all with me to see that circus caravan they're unloading," said Noda cheerfully. "I thought I'd take a job for while for some extra bit of cash."

Shin cocked a brow, wondering where his friend's industry sprouted from. Kuma blurted teasingly before he could ask. "Noda's got a girl!"

"Yeah, Shin! Man, I've been dying to tell yah!" said Uchi, throwing an arm around Shin's shoulder.

"Get off me."

"Oh, got that." The arm was pulled away apologetically.

"How did it happen?"

"Well," answered Noda blushingly as Minami chuckled. "She's actually Kumai's cousin, and—remember the other day we told yah we'd go hang?—we went to Kuma's and she happened to be visitin' and then…"

"Haha, man! Yah missed the moment, Shin!" said Minami heartily slapping the capped teenager's back. "Noda was stuttering like shit!"

"Whatever, ass."

"But it was true!" crowed Uchi, going slightly starry-eyed; he was always the hopeless romantic of the group. "Struck by thunder!"

"Isn't it lightning?" interrupted Minami.

"Fuck off, dude. They're the same. Aren't they, Shin-chan?" asked Uchi doggedly; Shin resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"No."

"HAHA! Dumbass!"

"Yah piece o' shit!"

Shin shook his head and pushed on as the two wrestled, Noda and Kuma tailing behind him like faithful minions. After a seemingly careless glance at his friend, he remarked wryly. "Oi, Noda, you really like this girl, huh?"

The blonde shuffled his feet and stuttered. "Y-yah. I don't care how dumb I sound, but she got me thinking 'bout my future. I'm planning to work a bit and go to college afterwards...so—so we can—you know—"

The redhead swung a surprised stare sideways which turned into an impressed smile. He reached out his hand in high-fives. "Not dumb. Good for you, man."

He took it gratefully and grinned. "Heh, thanks, Shin."

His smile transformed into a slight frown as he walked up the stairs and into their classroom. He couldn't help but envy Noda for his recent prospect.

What was he going to do after high school?

He slumped on his chair against the window, staring at the vast sky. He doubted if Kumiko would ever approve of his wanting to join the clan after graduation. Kuroda might want him—Kyou and the others would surely want him, but he knew they would all require her approval before he could step as an official member of the household. Of course, his being the son of a Chief Inspector would complicate the already-confusing web. It would also mean that he'd have to be ready to associate with people he didn't like—Shinohara for instance. He'd certainly have a more direct contact with the man, especially when Yankumi marries him…

A sneeze blurred his thoughts and he hurriedly pulled out a handkerchief to rub his nose. At that exact moment, Kumiko entered the rowdy classroom armed with nothing but a bundle of papers. Something about her purposeful manner quieted the whole section. His felt his insides do double flips and for the first time he realized how nervous he felt. The feeling lessened when he saw the dark circles around her eyes; she obviously lost sleep.

Her mood was obviously lost likewise. Turning her back to them, she picked a piece of chalk and began writing. "I wouldn't want to see those disarray of chairs before I finish writing down this problem, would I."

It was not a question but an order. Normally, they would proceed with their activities but her tone left no room for naughtiness. Within seconds, the chairs were straightened, and when she turned to face them, they were the picture of virtuous innocence, something more akin to a pack of rabid wolves than this group of students.

Yankumi raised a brow as though to think, _I should really do this everyday._

"What was our last time's lecture all about—yes, Inuzuka," she called, even though the boy didn't raise a hand. He sweated fearfully making his hair rise; his alter ego seemed eager to burst. "O-operations of polynomials, age problems and stuff."

"Good." Inuzuka sighed gratefully and sat down. "I've a problem commonly seen on algebra books. I'm giving you all just five minutes to answer this. It is easy enough. If one of you—just one manages to give the correct solution to the problem, I will give you all an additional ten points on your big exams. By the looks of it, you'll all be needing that, so do this properly. Time starts—" she looked at her own watch. "—now."

No one was particularly interested with ten points, but everyone shuffled for papers to obey lest they incur her wrath. Meanwhile, Shin stared at the problem at hand, wryly shaking his head.

_A man owning a ranch has cows and ducks. If, one day, peering under a fence, the owner counted sixty-six legs, how many cows and ducks did the man own?_

The gang of students ogled at the problem. Then, before he could stop himself, Uchi blurted, "But that's _stupid_. Why don't he just count the animals and get it _over—_mmph!"

Minami's hand covered the blabbering mouth before he could say more. "Just shut up, yah idiot!"

But, Yankumi's icy stare was already rested on them.

"Got somethin' to say?" Her voice drifting to a dangerous accent.

"N-nuthing. We was just blubberin' about. Haha. Ha. Ha…"

She chose to glare at him for a bit before looking away thoughtfully. The class sighed inwardly in unison though obviously thinking the same thing as Uchi: it _was_ a stupid problem.

There was a united motion of grudgingly pulled papers and pencils from bags. Shin was the only one who didn't move; the solution was already done in his head. From her vile mood, he expected a more difficult one from her. But then again, he knew how Yankumi loved her students too much to be truly cruel to them when it comes to academics. The teenager inclined his head at her direction. Their eyes met; in that moment of connection, they were alone again, in a dark, foggy street—their emotions running amok, bodies eagerly pressed together, she against the wall, their arms tight and lingering, his mouth needy, hers wanting...

Pulling her eyes away with firm shake of her head, Kumiko checked the time again and said, "Time's up. Who's got the answer?"

No one raised a hand—all looked up at her with stupid wonder. "Really, guys," she said exasperated. "I made it really easy—"

"Let me." In an instant, he was walking to the board, towards her.

Kumiko's mouth went dry. Then again, she somewhat expected him to rescue the class; it was just like him! _Gods! What is wrong with me! _"No, Sawada," she said almost angrily. "I want your other classmates to answer this."

He shrugged. "You didn't mention exempting me from the recitation."

"Someone else might have an answer—"

"Does anyone, besides me, have an answer?" Every one shook their heads mutely, eyeing the two, feeling as though something important was taking place. "Seems like you'll have to settle for me."

"I—alright then." She handed the chalk to him reluctantly and their hands brushed, sending ticklish sensations. The intense, unwavering look on his face confused her and, much as she hated to admit it, frightened her.

_Remember, last night was a fluke. Nothing more. _She repeated again, but her resolve was weakening. If it was a fluke, why did she feel this way?

Sawada wrote the solution in fine writing. For the first time, she struggled through her denseness and noticed the shaking of his hands, the nervous tinge on his face, and the weariness hiding beneath the intensity of his features. _He must've been up all night, too, _she thought with some surprise. _He must've been thinking about that._

_Where does this leave us?_

With a flourish, Shin ended the solution with a conclusion which he enclosed in a box: _Therefore, there are eleven ducks and eleven cows._

"That's da man!" whooped Uchi admiringly.

"That's great, Shin-chan!"

Everyone applauded him noisily. No one seemed to notice the tension between the two individuals standing up front. The intensity of _his_ look, the confusion in _her_ eyes was confined to their private world alone. Another mental spanking brought her back to reality; indeed, she seemed to need it a lot. It also made her recklessly angry at him, most of all to herself.

Wordlessly, she swiped the chalk from his hand, quieting the class and surprising Shin, and promptly scratched a new problem on the blackboard.

"Since you seem so intent on it, I'll be giving you the—_recitation_ you've been longing for," she said with a challenging smile. "I'll be giving you an additional three problems. If—_if_ you manage to answer them all correctly, thirty-five percent of the class' final exam in my subject will be a bonus." The boys immediately whooped in amazement—after all, the passing mark in Shirokin could go as low as thirty-five percent. Her eyes searched theirs for a moment before refocusing on Shin. Adrenaline pumped on her veins as she awaited his answer.

"And if I don't agree?" the students groaned audibly at Shin which he quickly silenced with a look.

Yankumi shrugged, eyeing him wryly. "Got nothing to lose, I guarantee it." _Just your pride. _Came her silent message.

Shin understood and a challenged glimmer affected his eyes. "Deal, then."

"YAH! Go, Shiiiin!"

"Shut up, Uchi."

"Yeah! Shut up, Uchi!"

"You can do it, Shin-chan!"

Yankumi resisted the urge to smile at their sheer belief in their leader's intelligence. Their faith in him was amazing—he had the makings of a great boss. Again, she smacked herself, almost blushing for the absurdity of her thoughts. _Wrong, wrong! Shin will go to college—leave for somewhere better, somewhere anywhere, just not here! Something is really wrong with me!_

Shin frowned for a moment at the problem; verification of trigonometric equations. With a pointed smirk, he wrote the answer easily on board. Pride and annoyance struggled within her despite her anger. They both knew that it was a topic way beyond their current lesson, but she really wanted to test the extent of Shin's knowledge in math. It was something she wanted to do a long time ago but really had no opportunity of doing. She somewhat had to thank her own confounded emotions.

Sawada Shin tossed the chalk to her the moment he finished and muttered in a way somewhat similar to last night's chess victory. "Done."

Of course it was right. It was Shin who answered it after all, she thought. She relented and gave him a genuine smile. "Good work—Shin."

An explosion of whoops had greeted Shin's victory. But he heard none of those; the only thing that seemed to register was the feeling of distinct pride in her voice, the way she said added "Shin" instead of plainly "Sawada". He felt strangely light, it was just like the time she disguised as a student and held his hand. Just like their daily rooftop conversations. Just like their one-on-one riots. Just like last night…

Kumiko cleared her throat and nodded curtly at him to clear the emotions stirring within her. The problem was easy enough. She would have to give him something harder. Their eyes met; he understood and smiled.

He'll just have to try harder then.

**oo0oO0Oo0oo**

Kumiko Yamaguchi gulped as she opened the door to the rooftop. She half-expected not to find him there but good as day, there he was, with his back to her as he leaned over the balcony, observing the horizon. He made no indication of noticing her arrival but she somewhat knew he was expecting her. She closed the metal door behind her with a loud creak and, in a falsely calm voice, she began. "You're pals will have to thank you for that thirty-five percent."

He shrugged, still not turning to her. "I guess."

Though nervous, she felt slightly annoyed by his naturally smug tone. "Heh. That's all you could think of to say?"

He sneezed in reply. Kumiko's eyes widened. "Eh, Sawada—are you sick?"

"It's Shin," he sighed after a full thought and a small sniff.

"Huh?" she asked automatically, not quite understanding.

Finally, he did turn and she suddenly wished he hadn't: the burning look on his pale face was almost overpowering. "Last night, you called me by my first name…Shin. And today, at class. So call me by it."

"Ah, yes," she blushed, quite forgetting her worry for his health in embarrassment and pushed on awkwardly. She bit her lip. "About—about last night—"

The wind seemed to become as turbulent as their rocky emotions, eagerly whipping their clothes and hair. He shook his head, tumbling rich red locks away from his forehead. He couldn't lie now, he felt too tired to do any facades today. "I won't give any excuses. I did what I wanted to."

"You just did what you wanted to!" she exclaimed, feeling angry again. "You make it sound so simple, _Sawada_."

He flinched at the vehemence in her voice. "Because it _is _simple. _You're _the one complicating things."

"How am I complicating things? You're the one who—who started kissing!"

Something flashed in his dark eyes and suddenly, Kumiko found him only a few inches from her. She backed like a cornered wolf, ready to strike. For a second she thought he would grab her by the shoulders but he seemed to reconsider; instead, he cocked his head sideways and eyed her in brown study. "You kissed me back."

A lump of nervousness formed in her throat. "I—I well—it was—it wasn't exactly—"

"Not exactly?"

"Sawada, I don't like this game you're playing—"

"I'm no kid to play silly games with you, Yamaguchi," he said, suddenly cold.

"What are you, then?" she spat. A look of pain passed momentarily in his features and she somehow regretted her choice of words for no reason.

"Age is not necessarily the standard of maturity," he answered in gritted teeth. "I may be just kid in your eyes but I understand much more than I see; I know I'm _not_ just a kid. But it doesn't matter—tell me, how do _you _think of me?"

She was unprepared of the question. With a false laugh, Kumiko replied. "B-but of course! You're my—student…and—and a good friend of mine—"

His eyes seemed to pierce her insides. "Then why did you kiss back?"

"I—er," she gulped. "I—"

A cold smile flitted across his face. Indeed, he was feeling quite as reckless, not to mention quite hot and dizzy. He leaned forward. "What if I kiss you now? Will you kiss me back again?"

"What? Shin—"

He smiled; she called him with the familiarity he wanted again. For a moment, impulse and rationality raged inside Shin. "Would you?" he hissed as his eyes drooped slightly, feeling drawn to her face. In that moment of weakness, impulse won.

His mouth pressed down on hers.

Kumiko stiffened. Her hands felt cold and tingly, electrified, but they only lay limp at her sides. Her mind was racing, thoughts raging and bumping, eventually slowing in an odd traffic.

Hadn't she planned to coldly reprimand him for last night's fling and finally tell him off? _I didn't come here for this! No, _screamed her mind as his warm mouth gingerly explored hers, his breath mingling gently into her nostrils. _Not for this!_

_Are you sure? _Came that annoyingly sneaky voice from the deepest recesses of her conscience.

_Is this not…_

—his arms wound around her back.

…_what she wanted?_

—he pulled her deeper to him.

_Is this not..._

All the while, her mouth was moving in accordance with his. All thought went into a sudden jam and, much as her unreasonable rationality struggled, she gave in.

The wind seemed to scream a song of utter victory as her arms found their away to his nape and flaming hair. In an instant, the rooftop was no more; they were back on the dark street, bodies moving in a wild symphony, mouths meeting and clashing as though their very life's breath depended on it. No one wanted to think anymore, as though more thinking would complicate things, when all they needed was all ready there.

Shin's chest was hammering as though his heart yearned to be torn out. He could feel the same intensity from her chest, fully and eagerly pressed against him. He momentarily pulled his mouth only inches away from hers, dizzy for breath. The words wanted to spill, it was now or never. "Yankumi, I—"

_Ring. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing. _

Kumiko suddenly jumped back, as though jolted awake by the beeping and vibration on her pocket. She licked her lips uncertainly. Pure heat radiated from her body; the howling wind could do nothing to quench that energy. Her heart hammered into her ears like a rabbit. _What did I do?_

The ringing persisted. Kumiko pulled out the phone warily from her pocket; her flushed face went pale as the name of the caller flashed on screen.

"Go on. Answer it," came Shin's soft voice. The feeling of contentment and release felt clogged once again in his throat, hurting. The expression on her face told him the nature of the caller; he backed a few steps.

Without another word, she pressed the button and brought the phone to her ear. "H-hello?"

"_Kumiko-chan."_

"Ah…yes, Shinohara-sensei." Shin abruptly turned away from him; the strange expression on his face brought a dull pain to her chest. "Why did you call?"

"_Is this a bad time?"_

_Yes, _cried her whole head. For some reason, she wanted to really cry—as anyone was accustomed to feel when something really good was interrupted. She wasn't sure why she felt this way; she should be angry at herself for kissing her student, for goodness' sake! "No, not really."

Shin, seeming to understand what had been asked of her, directed an irritated scowl at her.

"_I just called to say I've got a venue for our date."_

"EH?" she sputtered a bit too loudly. The redhead looked back at her again in comprehension. "I mean…where?"

"_I heard a traveling circus is visiting on the Kamiyama amusement park. They'll be staying there for quite a while. I've seen the brochures and they're doing some pretty new acrobatics and shows. You will like it there—and we can watch the fireworks display, too."_

"Ah, that would be—that would be nice," she answered, shivering slightly at the piercing look Shin was giving her.

"_It's settled then. Friday night?"_

"Ah, yes. Friday night."

"_Good bye."_

- Click.

The woman eyed the phone in her hands for a few minutes. The conversation made her uncharacteristically uncomfortable. She knew Shin had everything to do with the whole matter. Had circumstances been different, she knew she would have felt giddy. But…

"Where will you be having your date?" She almost jumped as his voice brought her back from reverie.

"Ah," she shuffled her feet awkwardly. How could Kumiko discuss her date with Shinohara with a person she had been sharing a kiss with a few minutes ago? "At the amusement park—there'll be a circus visiting in Kamiyama-chou—"

"Ah. So I've heard." He answered nonchalantly, his memory scanning his earlier conversation with the gang.

A large drift seemed to lie unsurpassable between them. As the horizon turned reddish orange, Shin whispered. "You are—going with him?"

Kumiko looked up at his lean body, eclipsing the reddish glare. A pang made her defensive. "What do you care if I do?"

He felt a raging dam break inside him as he shouted. "Damn it, Yamaguchi! Do you have to ask unnecessary questions? Just answer me!"

The pang seemed to dig deeper. _Yamaguchi…but you just called me Yankumi earlier._ She shook her head. Why was she even bothered by such trivial things anyways?

Resolve turned her veins to ice. "I don't have to answer you, Sawada Shin. What I do is my business. Stay out of it."

The coldness of her tone fisted his heart. He was left drained and exhausted. He let out a hollow laugh; nothing seemed to matter much now. Not even his pride.

He walked unsteadily forward and, before Kumiko could evade him, grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into his embrace. Weakly, he rested his head onto her shoulder and sighed. "Damn you, Yankumi. Don't do this."

Kumiko's eyes widened as his body sagged at hers. She quickly placed a hand over his forehead and cursed silently. "You're hot!"

When he didn't answer, she cursed audibly again. She called herself ten kinds of assholes for not noting the heightened temperature of his skin earlier. He had fallen asleep.

_Of course...you were busy with _other _things, _came that unbearably sneaky voice.

She fell on her rump as his dead weight tripped her back. Worriedly, she struggled up and slung his arm over her neck. She'll have to worry about other things later; her young redhead's health was more important now. Of course, she'll have to be discreet in carrying him about—she didn't want rumors of a teacher/student relationship spreading all over the body.

_But wasn't that what they were having now? _

She sighed, confused and exasperated as she bore his dull weight. How did things become so complicated?

* * *

**How was it? Please impart me with your reviews. I would really, truly appreciate them as I appreciated all the previous comments. If there are any typo errors, etc, kindly tell me; I am open for some editing.**

**Petri dishes?**

**Beakers?**

**Pipettes?**

**Agar???**

**Please review!**


	9. On Illness and Weirdness

**Heh! Here, at long last, is my latest update! Sorry it took so long to do. No amount of excuse would suffice…but I've updated now. Please bear with me for my slowness, though. I promise to finish this story, so hang on…ok? **

**Thank you for all the reviews! I truly appreciate your feedbacks and comments. As for the problem on the previous chap…yes, there was bit of a mistake in the answer to the prob…that was a huge typo, but I had immediately corrected it when it was pointed out to me. So I must apologize and thank the first readers of that chap for informing me of that anomaly. If the prob sounds wrong, you could always blame the creator of that problem…take a guess who, Yeah. Got that right! I used to be addicted to math…guess I'm a bit rusty. **(laughing nervously)** Please don't kill me.**

**Oh, and to those wondering why I was hammering on laboratory stuff…it was our Science week during that time, and I was feeling a bit loopy. Hehe. Ah… I love lab work best!**

**Hmm, anyways, I think I may be guilty again of OOCness on some chars here…I hope you don't mind. Of course, if there are errors, please inform me so that I may correct them! I hope I don't bore you. **

**So, on to the reading! Have fun!

* * *

**

**On Illness and Weirdness**

There was no one. Biting her lower lip with a gulp, the slim teacher strained her ears for a noise, any noise…

There was none.

Stealthily, she craned her neck…first to the left then to the right, as though she were crossing a lightless and dangerous road. The corridor was seemed truly deserted, but one can't be too sure. Kumiko took a deep breath before shuffling forward as quickly and quietly as she could; not an easy task when bearing a man-sized burden, literally.

_I've got to hurry! Someone might see us._ Peering over her shoulder, she added internally. _He doesn't look too good…_

Something akin to fear stabbed her calm demeanor. What was wrong with him? Why was he sick? Did she…did she do this to him? Kumiko quickly shoved the last thought from her head, labeling herself as both foolish and insane. How could she possibly do this to him? No one gets a fever after a—a _smooch_! She blushed at the thought. So he must've developed it overnight...after….after….

…_after a night of more "smooching"._

_Aw, hell! _She cursed inwardly. _I don't have _venom, _do I? Or is this up commance for my unprofessional relationship with him?_ The thought made her cringe; she forced it to go away. She couldn't deny that there was nothing between them now, not after this craziness. But she didn't want to accept them either.

They had just reached the first floor. Intent on speed, Kumiko rashly turned a corner, somewhat confident on the absence of people on the floor. Unfortunately, she was quite mistaken.

Kumiko bounced back and fell heavily on the unconscious Shin with a grunt. Her surprise turned into quick anger as she screamed in anguish and worry, "Shin—OI, YAH IDIOT! WHAT'RE YAH DOIN'—"

Her mouth stopped its yammer in a wide "O" as she looked up at the equally surprised expression of his student's face. It was Kuma. "Yankumi? We thought you'd gone."

_We? He said we! Of course_, thought Kumiko with an internal smack, _he wasn't alone. How could he be?_ As she was berating herself for her carelessness, Uchi's shrill voice broke the brief silence. "AHH! Look what Yankumi did to Shin!"

"EHH? Where—GAH! Shin-chan!" In a moment, all four boys were crowding over their fallen leader; Kumiko rolled out of their way and watched dubiously.

Uchi poked him on the sides while Minami lightly slapped his cheek in efforts of waking the redhead.

"He's knocked out cold—"

"Gah! Are you _that _heavy, Yankumi?"

Whack. "No I'm not!" she shrieked at Noda who earnestly rubbed his walloped head.

"Shin-chaaan!" wailed Uchi. "Yankumi, how _could you!_"

"I didn't do _anything_!" she fumed. That was _partly_ true; who started the kissing anyway?

"Is he—is he—" gulped Kuma.

There was another resounding whack, this time aimed on another head. "Fool! Of course not!"

"What really happened, Yankumi?" asked Noda in a hushed voice.

Huh. What happened? Her infuriated mind seemed to suddenly slow and turn blank.

Tough question.

With that, the teacher blubbered incoherently an invented version of the rooftop scene, intimate details severely excluded. "—and then, while I was in the middle of recounting the uhm—the scene in—the uh—a fight scene in _The Wife of the Yakuza, _he suddenly paled and fainted on me!"

There was silence and questioning glances. Did they believe her?

Noda placed a hand on Shin's neck and cursed. "Damn, he's hot!"

"Yeah, I know," she muttered with a relieved sigh before smacking herself again for the double-meaning. This really wasn't the best time for silliness! "He's obviously sick. I only wanted to bring him home when I bumped into you guys."

"We'll help you!" said Kuma decidedly.

_No! _She initially planned to bring him to the Kuroda's family doctor. She can't have them trailing with her! "But—"

"Yeah," nodded Minami. "We have to be here for Shin-chan."

"We can't let you go alone—you can barely carry him. I mean—you're so _small_," added Noda.

A small vein twitched on her neck at the implication. "I thought _you _said I was _heavy._"

"Then you are?" he asked innocently. She had to glare. _Smartass._

"Please, Yankumi! Let us go with you!"

She sat up carefully and looked around at their serious faces, her irritation replaced with admiration. This was real camaraderie! Tears instantly welled around her eyes and she sniffed. "You guys—are so—sweet!"

"Aw, Yankumi's crying again," muttered Uchi, freaked. The others looked peeved as well.

Reenergized with sheer inspiration, Kumiko stamped to her feet and bared her fists, fire burning through her whole being. "Alright! Let's go to Sawada's place! C'mon!"

And, with as much discretion that could be accomplished with four bumbling idiots and a petite female, they maneuvered Shin out of Shirokin and onto the almost deserted streets.

O.o.O.o.O.o.O

Having the boys around, Kumiko realized, was an advantage. She need not be discreet; a geeky-looking teacher chaperoning a group of boys was less suspicious than a _female_ teacher carrying her _male_ student on her back. They reached Shin's place in less than fifteen minutes. They sat him gently beside the wall as Kumiko fumbled for the keys in Shin's pockets and found his wallet instead. But there was no key.

"Shin, wake up—we need to enter your place. We need a key—Shin!" she said, shaking him with urgency. He remained infuriatingly unconscious.

"Uh, I think he's really out cold," whispered Uchi nervously.

"_Damn_," she gritted. Without a key, breaking down the door was her next option but she daren't do it in the presence of her other students. "Where does Sawada have his keys?"

They shrugged. "We don't know. Kuma?"

"Dunno. Shin never tells. He has the key somewhere around his body, I think."

"How sure are you?"

"Well," he answered slowly. "I remember that Shin'd fumble his shirt for something before opening the door—"

Without another word, Kumiko grabbed his fronts of his uniform and unbuttoned it quickly.

"GAH! Y-Yankumi!"

"Nooo! Don't rape Shin!"

"SHUT UP! I'm just checking for the key in his body—he'd have it somewhere…" she trailed off, feeling for his body when his uniform was off. The other boys watched interestedly. Her hands smoothed through his sweat-soaked undershirt even as she forced her thoughts to remain neutral. Finally, her palms felt something below his ribs. She pulled the hem of his shirt up to reveal a secret pocket by the inner stitches. A grateful sigh escaped her lips at the sight of the apartment key.

"Here—go open the door," she ordered urgently as she handed the key to Kuma. Once it was open, they proceeded to ushering Shin inside. The apartment, Kumiko was surprised to see, was cleaner and more organized than she had expected so it was easier to find things that they would need: blankets, towels, basins… the boys fell to work as they moved unquestioningly under her direction.

Fortunately, Shin had a well-equipped medicine kit stashed in one of the cupboards. Knowing he wouldn't be able to swallow well, she grounded two aspirins and mixed it with tonic. All done, she made Shin sit upright.

"Shin, hey… drink this up—come on," she coaxed, leading a spoon to his mouth. Getting no response, she tried to pry his jaws open, to no avail. "Tch. He's really passed out,"

Kumiko nodded her thanks when Kuma placed the basin of water she asked for. It's been two hours at least since he collapsed, she thought worriedly as the damp towel touched his feverish skin—we could really do with a doctor…

"I gotta go," she said, standing abruptly.

"Ehh? You gonna leave us alone?" protested Kuma.

"I'll be back—and I hardly call five people including a sick man "alone"."

"B-but-what if something happens to Shin?" clamored Uchi, turning pale at the prospect.

"NOTHING'LL HAPPEN TO HIM!" she roared before controlling herself. _And nothing'll happen if I lose it. _"All right. He'll be ok—Shin is strong. A lil fever won't bring him down. Just continue sponging him. And I really won't be long—promise."

O.o.O.o.O.o.O

_Where am I? _Hazy green movement met him as he moved around, or rather, floated around. _A park…? _Suddenly he remembered what he was supposed to be doing…He was chasing something…a bunny.

Wryly, an idle thought told him that he was too old to go chasing bunnies. And with that came the automatic realization that he wasn't that old…after all, he was only 8 years old…

He ran as fast as his short legs could carry him, enjoying the dizzy spray of colors, eagerly following the dull gray movement from far ahead. Oddly enough, he didn't feel tired. But there a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach which he couldn't discern. "Ma?" he asked a figure beside him.

"Yes?" came her sweet voice.

"Where is dad?" He asked innocently.

_Why does this scene feel so familiar?_

"He…can't come."

_Mother…she was so sad…I remember…_

"But why?"

There was no answer. He was persistent.

"Ma…why isn't dad here? He promised, didn't he?"

She sighed in answer. Her words were unrecognizable to his ears but they were something that he would never forget, perhaps because he had heard it often enough before that incident, and even much more after that. Or perhaps, because it was, to the young and all-ready too perceptive Sawada Shin, the dawn of realization…

"…_next time…he said, he'll be here, then and—"_

There was a sudden shift of surrounding, and he suddenly found himself kneeling on the familiar floorboards of the Kuroda household. The scene was equally familiar, too.

The estranged father towered before him, his face shadowed with a mixture of anger, astonishment and derision. Kumiko, her grandfather and Kyou, he knew were standing behind him, their faces mingling with equal surprise and respect. He knew what he would be saying, too, before the words flew automatically from him.

"—But right now…this is what's important to me right now…more than anything. I don't want to leave them! My friends, my tea—" he stopped, directing a sideward glance at the alert expression on her face. He remembered glimpsing an approving and knowing smile from Kuroda…was that his imagination? He stared back at his lap and continued. "My teachers…aren't bad…either so…_PLEASE!"_

The scene moved away, and Shin was surprised that he was standing apart from his kneeling self. He seemed to lose his footing now and he fell into a deep abyss which seemed to never end…

Healthy grass seemed to part under the weight of his feet as he landed gently. He looked around wildly. The Kuroda's garden, cool wind, moonlight, an old tree…a small pond by the tree…and beside that…his eyes widened with horror in a vision which he had pushed night after night away from his mind.

With half-lowered lashes, Shinohara bent down to cover Kumiko's mouth with his.

Shin shook his head, knowing in his mind of minds that it was all a dream—such nightmares could only happen once in real life. The second-takes happen only in dreams… but it seemed too real.

Suddenly, they seemed to notice him and they moved towards him, smiling happily. "Shin, I'm glad, you're here!" bubbled the pig-tailed woman.

"Y-you are?" he said uncertainly.

"Of course," answered Shinohara, his smile secretive and somewhat triumphant. "We wanted you to be the very first to know…"

Shin's mouth widened in utter disbelief as the lawyer held her hand and held it up in the meager moonlight; there, on her slim ring finger was an expensive-looking diamond band. "We're engaged!"

With his free hand, Shinohara cuffed Shin's shoulder. "I've been meaning to ask…could you be my best man?"

Shin did the first thing he could think off: he shrugged the man's hand and, without another glance back, turned tail.

_Kumiko…_he cried out voicelessly as he ran into nothingness. _Yankumi…no—it can't be! It's just a dream, no…no…_

"NOTHING'LL HAPPEN TO HIM!" came an indignant scream. The illusion shattered and true colors focused before Shin's eyes. He breathed deeply. His body felt heavy. _What happened?_ The last memories trickled through his brain as though automatically overwriting the jumbled dream—the rooftop…the kiss…the phone call…Yankumi…

_I fainted, _he realized along with the heavy jolt that crossed his temple.

That voice—Kumiko's—continued more calmly, "…All right. He'll be ok—Shin is strong. A lil fever won't bring him down. Just continue sponging him. And I really won't be long—promise."

_She can't go, _he thought, mind spinning on and on, understanding and not truly understanding the circumstances. _She can't…_

"Y-yankumi..." he coughed through a terribly bone-dry throat.

"Shin!" the loud clamor of voices distinctly hurt his already pounding head. It's like having a hangover, he thought. An extremely extended hangover. He cracked his eyelids a fraction and the swimming faces of his friends and beloved teacher entered his view.

"Are you ok?" murmured Kumiko. Her face, though wearied by anxiety, seemed prettier than ever.

"Don't go…please…" he pleaded weakly, not caring if his friends were there to hear him. Still, he cursed himself inwardly. Why the hell was he feeling so weak? What the fuck is wrong with him?

She bit her lip hesitantly. "But…"

"Don't worry! I'll go!" volunteered Ucchi. There was a sneaky expression on his face. Though lightheaded, Shin noticed it and looked at the others; no one else seemed to have noticed.

Kumiko, however, seemed surprised. "Eh? But—"

"_We _insist! Just give me the address—and you can also send me out to buy the other stuff we'll need."

"Wha—we?" Minami doubled over as Ucchi elbowed him quite roughly. Kumiko sweated.

"O-okay—"

"And I'll bring the others with me, too. For help, yah know? Right, guys?" said the freckled teen, giving all the others a wink. Noda and Minami (though still a bit miffed by the pain in his abdomen) grinned slowly and nodded simultaneously in comprehension.

"Yeah! We'll go with Ucchi…you know, he might get lost."

"Uh, whaddya winking for, Ucchi?" said Kuma slowly.

There were three sound whacks. "Shut it!"

"Eh, Yankumi, the address—hurry—" urged Minami.

Kumiko looked doubtful, suspicious and slightly nervous. Finally, her expression cleared and scribbled something on two separate papers. The first one was hastily written and folded with some money; the second was carefully written and folded as well.

"Here," she said, handing the first to Ucchi. "The address is in there…and also the set of medicines and bandages I require and the money you'll need for it. Oh, and buy some healthy food and drinks, too, ok?"

"No problem! Commander Ucchi is in charge!" Shin resisted the urge to roll his eyes and fell back on the pillows instead.

"Now, Kuma, when you reach the doctor, I want you to give this to him—" and with that, she handed the other note to the large boy— "Tell him that 'Miss Yamaguchi seeks his help'. Remember—give him the note!"

"Eh?" asked Minami. "What's in that note?"

"Nothing! And you better not look—coz if you do—" a fiery and sinister look stole across her face.

"Heheh…w-we kinda get what you mean, Yankumi," said Noda, slightly cowed by her tone and look.

"Good. Now, go!"

Once they were all gone, Kumiko sighed. "I hope they manage to find the doc without any trouble."

"You called for your family doctor—the backside doctor you told me about?" asked Shin curiously.

"Yes," she said with a laugh. "I told you 'bout him, eh? Hehe, I worry that it'll take him years to come…I mean, he's just so old."

"Hm. If he is, then we shouldn't bother him. I'm okay, really—"

"'Okay' my ass! Yah frickin' fainted on me! If that's you're definition of 'okay' then yah must be really ticked on the head," she finished, slightly irritated. Kumiko took a glass with purple, vile-looking substance from the end table.

"What's that?" he said, screwing his face.

"Mashed aspirins plus tonic," she answered gruffly, spooning some and pointing to his mouth.

The smell of medicine and energy drink wasn't near to appetizing. "Equals murder! Do you wanna kill me?"

"Heh. Quit being such a baby and drink this up." That shut him up, and after many gags and swallowed vomits, Shin managed to drink half of the glass without spillage. Kumiko found Shin's agony highly entertaining and, in spite of her better judgment, cute.

"That was tiring," he admitted, lying back again and closing his eyes for a moment.

"Yeah, really," she said, a bubble escaping her throat. Finally, she broke down laughing, slapping her thighs in amusement. Much to his pain, Kumiko even tried imitated his voice and expression.

"Haha. You're very funny. Enjoy yourself," muttered Shin, tactfully hiding his amusement with sarcasm.

Kumiko, placed her hand on Shin's forehead, then neck. "Hmm, you're still hot."

"Thank you," he smirked.

She reddened. "Not that 'hot' hot!"

Shin snickered and his vision doubled once more. His hand automatically reached for his forehead.

"Tch. You're exerting yourself too much."

"Hn." His vision was going black again.

"Rest, Shin…"

"Yankumi—don't leave me," he said, grasping her hand urgently, fighting to let her image stay in his eyes.

"I won't—I promise. Now…rest…"

Kumiko sighed as Shin fell back into unconsciousness. She rinsed the sponge and wiped the glistening sweat on his forehead and neck. Idly, she combed his bangs from his face, smoothing the fiery redness gently, ardently. The first thing she planned to ask once he woke was the reason behind his actions. But when he had woken up, she realized the futility—the foolishness—of the question. What would he say? He was probably making fun of her…that's right. Naturally, that would mean nothing to him…but "nothing" is impossible because there was definitely something going on between them! She wasn't imagining it, right? But what if it was just a little misunderstanding?

_Of course…that's impossible, too…unless—well, that _other _explanation is highly ludicrous…_

Because, she reasoned as she twirled one thick strand absently with her forefinger, it's just not possible for him to love me…

_Stupid. You should not care if he loves you. You should not._

With a burdened sigh at her strange thoughts, she leaned forward, kissed his forehead, and watched him a bit more until his peaceful breathing lulled her to sleep.

O.o.O.o.O.o.O

He drifted between reality and unconsciousness, jumbling and messing fantasy and reality. But he caught something quite coherent and he forced himself to stay somewhat awake for a bit longer.

"—assure you, it's just a tough case of flu. It's quite broad these days."

"How long before he gets better?"

"Give or take three days, if he gets the right medication and complete bed rest." There was a discreet sound of scratching and torn paper. "Here are the antibiotics—he should drink it thrice a day. You've given her aspirins?"

"Yes."

"Good. Just continue that medication for every four hours until he gets rid of the fever. Make him drink energy drinks and water for electrolytes and to avoid dehydration."

Shin weakly strained his ears as he heard her familiar sigh before falling back to dark abyss.

He rolled… onto grass again. The clouds crawled idly by forming shadows on the meadow. His arm automatically reached out beside him until he could pull onto her slender waist. Dark eyes met spectacled ones as she snuggled into his arms. Soft rhythmic breathing wafted at his neck and cheek, coming closer into a wet movement at a sensitive area between his neck and shoulder. A vague voice told him that it was only a sponge and not really a mouth, yet the illusion carried him far. When it was pulled back, he groaned her name over and over.

_Yankumi…don't go. Yankumi, don't go!_

He yearned to call out some more, afraid of more dreams, afraid of being alone to be enveloped by the unknown when something warm and tangibly real surrounded his body. A voice seemed to call him.

_I'll never leave…_

He zoned out again, mind filming alternately between fantasy and reality again. Reality, he felt, was too far for him to reach in his currently weak physical state, yet he continued his fight, especially fueled by his recent success and the warmth, coupled with the smell of tea leaves, surrounding his body now. He no longer cared if it was a dream or not; all he knew was that it energized him. His friends were worried, he was sure…and of course, there was still his pig-tailed woman to think of…

O.o.O.o.O.o.O

"He-he-he." A wide triumphant grin was a-spread on Ucchi's face, which, though highly characteristic of him, failed to remove the other teens' worry for his sanity.

"Are you sure 'bout this?" whispered Minami urgently, eyes darting from the door to the CD which his friend was holding.

"'Course I am! It'll wake Shin up!"

"What if Yankumi finds out?" asked Noda, sweating at the very idea. No matter how petite the teacher looked, the picture of her swinging a bat at their heads kept swimming into his mind view. The rumors of her studying self-defense were nowhere near reassuring.

"She won't!" justified Ucchi as he determinedly fixed the CD onto the player. "And she'll pro'ly thank us later when she arrives to see Shin awake."

"Are they really…you know…together?" the question made Kuma red in eagerness.

"Hell, yeah! I'm sure of it!" grinned Ucchi again. "Commander Ucchi knows everything!"

"Bullshit."

"Yeah. Whatever."

"Come on, guys! Can't yah feel it? The lovey-dovey tension between them? Heh!"

"Hmm, it's really cool a bit, yah know?" Noda gave a toothy grin which matched the freckled teen's excited one. "I mean, they're _together!_"

"Yep! Means our efforts weren't futile," added Ucchi with a nod. The others glanced at each other questioningly as if to ask, _what efforts?!_

"Eh, hell, but what if they aren't?" argued Minami.

"Let's just wake Shin up already!" retorted Kuma, glancing worriedly at Shin. "Then, we can ask him later."

"Yeah! Let's!" cried Ucchi.

"Wait! What if that guy's wrong?"

"Minami! How could you even ask? The guy knew _everything_! He even knew my favorite number!"

"He's a porno dealer—"

"So? Does being a porno dealer hinder with wisdom?"

"Uhh…"

"Exactly!"

"Eh…I think Minami's got a point—"

"Not you too, Noda!" wailed Ucchi.

"See here…can a sleeping guy—er—wake up when we make 'im watch porno?"

"He said so! I believe him. After all, you said so yourself—he is a porno dealer, so he's bound to know that stuff."

"I'm not sure this is okay, man, I mean how could he wake up like that?"

"Remember what he said? 'He is sure to get aroused even in deep sleep'! Man, this is the _key_! I _know_ it!"

"But—"

"It mightn't work! What if Yankumi comes while—?"

"Damn it, we've talked 'bout that already—"

"Stop it, guys!" said Kuma loudly. They all stopped bickering and stared at the big teen. He continued. "I don't care whatever the plan is—let's just wake Shin-chan! I don't think he'll like it if the first thing he hears are you guys shitting over stuff." He huffed; it was the longest thing he said that day.

They all fell silent and equally penitent. "He's right," muttered Noda. "If it's for Shin, let's do it."

"We'll risk it all for Shin!" said Minami bravely.

Ucchi nodded seriously and smiled theatrically at them before pressing the play button. "_Sayonara_, troops."

O.o.O.o.O.o.O

The door tingled open as Yankumi tiredly swung the tiny plastic of flu medications over her shoulder and pushed her way out. Dark circles of worry shrouded her spectacled eyes but she shook her head resolutely; the worst was over. Shin was recovering. She slowed her brisk walk into a gentle pace as her mind wandered.

She vaguely recalled waking the night before at his moans. His bedside had been a familiar pillow for her. It was while sponging him again to rid the returning fever that he called out her name, like a nightmare-plagued boy calling for his mother. Bewildered by tiredness and sleep, Kumiko did the first thing which entered her head and lay in bed next to him, wrapping her slim arms over his still body, as though it would protect him from his delirium. It must have worked because he soon stopped shaking and lay still. In tiredness, she too drifted to sleep.

The young woman must've snuggled even closer to him for she woke up that morning in the worst state possible: arms and legs tangled with Shin's limbs. She had evacuated slowly from his bed, hoping to be excused from a very embarrassing interview which thankfully did not take place; he seemed too comfortable to wake.

_He must've been _very _comfortable, indeed_. She cursed herself. The gods must surely be having fun at _her _expense!

Kumiko rubbed the back of her neck and pushed her thoughts back again for later analysis. She rolled her shoulders back and forth—heaven knows she needed an exercise! Taking care of sick people can really take a huge toll on the caregiver.

She finally reached the apartment and sniffed, remembering how Shin's gang practically begged her to leave Shin to them so she could have fresh air. They were such loyal and good friends.

_Shin's truly lucky to have them, _she thought with her usual sigh.

She opened the door and was suddenly met with a high-pitched, lustful female voice unmistakably saying _"Do me….Please…DO ME! Haaaaai….." _and the sight of the three adolescents nose-bleeding and crowded at the TV screen. Shin was still thankfully unconscious.

She should've known better than speak too soon.

O.o.O.o.O.o.O

The world seemed to spin, which was impossible since his eyes were tightly shut. What happened? He thought disjointedly. No matter how hard he tried to open his eyes he just couldn't find the strength. He no longer felt hot. Despite all these wandering thoughts, a few voices from beyond the blackness gave him the reassurance that he wasn't alone.

"—YAH PERVERTS!" Kumiko's obvious outrage was far from reassuring, though.

"But, Yankumi—"

"We were just trying to wake him up!"

"Yeah! The fortune-teller guy said—"

"_I don't fuckin' care what he said!_ **OUT**!"

"But, Yankumi! You can't doubt him! He knows this stuff like a pro! He's a porno dealer!"

"_WHAT—?!"_

"Yeah! And he _said _that this movie was a panacea—the very answer to our problems!"

There was a moment of silence and the whole situation processed and jammed in Shin's head like an avalanche. _What the fuck—_

"_BULLSHIT_! **OUUUUT**!" A couple of shoves, protests and a distinct bam told him that that the boys were gone and that he was alone with Yankumi. The facts slowly pieced themselves together in his head as he recalled his latest memory.

The bright light of his surroundings crashed with his vision as he opened his eyes. The world seemed to spin faster and he choked on his rising vomit. But he immediately saw what he was looking for; a very familiar figure was sitting next to him, face a-blur to his vision but distinctly knitted in irritation. She didn't seem to notice him regaining consciousness, apparently too engrossed checking a thermometer in her hand. He found his voice, "Y-yankumi—"

"Shin!" she cried both in choked surprise and relief. "You're awake! Then—it _worked_…?"

Best feign ignorance, he thought; nevertheless, he felt himself flame as red as his hair as he inquired. "What worked?" His mouth felt as dry as his first awakening.

She blushed hotly and waved a hand, buying the ill-acted confusion in his face. "Never mind." Yankumi immediately fetched a glass of lukewarm water and held it to his lips. He downed it in three gulps and breathed deeply; even just drinking water exhausted him. But somehow, his head was no longer as heavy. The pounding in his head was still there, perhaps due to being long unconscious.

"How long was I—"

"The whole day yesterday...and a half today since it's already past noon."

"What—ow," and he clutched his forehead, his surroundings seemingly eager to spin off the axes. A whole day! It felt more like just a couple of hours. But the weariness in his body told him otherwise.He tried to move in an alternate position, causing him to swoon slightly.

"Idiot! Tch," she adjusted his covers and pillows to make him more comfortable.

"I remember hearing someone saying that I just had flu. It wasn't a dream?" he asked suddenly. Shin felt ashamed of himself—what a baby he was, fainting at little illnesses!

She affirmed. "A bad case of flu. Hey, don't gimme that face—I'll have yah know that people die from flu."

"Careless people."

"No matter what typa people they are. It's still a cause of death."

"People die from tripping."

"Old people—well, some young, but—"

"'Still a cause of death.'" he mimicked with a small smile.

Kumiko giggled and mirrored his smile. "So this mean's you're okay now."

Shin nodded and thought for a moment before saying. "Thanks…and sorry. I—must've worried everyone."

"Damn right you have! Kuma, Uchi, Noda, Minami…and the rest of the class, of course! Kyou-san even came here yesterday eve—told your pals that he's your uncle. Heh. Grandpa would've visited but he had business matters to attend to."

"You took care of me?"

The twenty-three year old suddenly seemed surprised by the question. She bit her lower lip and muttered. "Yeah—well, you wouldn't have managed without help—"

"I'm sorry…for worrying you," he murmured honestly, ignoring the rest of her statement.

What she originally intended to say no longer mattered. Meeting his deep gaze, she murmured softly. "I'm glad you're okay now."

Shin didn't answer; instead, he moved his hand over hers and smiled. All the sense and rationality in the world no longer seemed to matter; all else seemed to melt away.

They fell silent for a while.

* * *

**Did you fall asleep? Should I get you…**

**Pillows **(to suffocate the author with) ?

**Sleeping pills **(to put the author to eternal sleep with) ?

**Or just a good bottle of cyanide **(to poison the author with) ?

**Please review! Thank you very much!**


	10. Muddled Thoughts, Doubts, and Hurdles

I truly, truly apologize for not updating sooner. I've been preoccupied between cleaning the house and downloading anime. Besides that, I couldn't use the net; my sisters are online rpg game addicts and refused to let me use the pc, most of the time.

So, now I've found the opportunity to update. I hope, dear readers, that you won't get mad at me.

Thank you for the past chaps reviews! Though I felt that that last one was pretty unsatisfactory. Somehow, I feel the same for this one. The chars are quite OOC here, sorry. At least, I feel that they are. (sigh) I think this is due to lack of inspiration. Anyways, just tell me how you think at the end of the chapter, neh?

**Disclaimer:** The usual. Of course I don't own Gokusen! Even if I dream it up or make a hand stand, or do the hoola dance, it won't be.

Please sit back, read, and enjoy!

* * *

**Muddled Thoughts, Doubts, and Hurdles**

"Whoot! Hottie!"

"Look here, miss!"

"Big knobs yah got there—hekhek!"

A nerve twitched involuntarily at Kumiko's temple as she grinded her teeth. It was really embarrassing! "_Why_ must you wear such a skimpy skirt?" she demanded of the voluptuous blonde co-teacher sashaying easily beside her.

"Hm? Is there a problem?" asked Fujiyama innocently. Eyebrows quivering in annoyance, Kumiko gestured to the male population gathered from the sides of the street. Much to her annoyance, her companion merely laughed at her irritation. "Oh, that? I'm so used to it so much I no longer notice! Ho-ho-ho!"

"Great!" The black haired woman smacked her forehead in utter exasperation. "How in the world are you gonna help me with shopping with people ogling at _you _like a new zoo animal! And why must you pair that skirt with a—_piece of cloth_?" she added pointing to the triangular scarf that Fujiyama wore over her colorful bra.

"Don't mind them! They aren't gawking at you, you know. And this 'piece of cloth' as you haughtily put it, is what you call summer fashion. I happen to like being fashionable." _Unlike _**someone **_I know!_

Kumiko rolled her eyes, perceiving the implied thoughts, as the blonde scrunched her nose at her own usual jogging outfit. Instead of the customary pig-tails, her hair was pinned up in a very limp bun which made her look more commonplace than usual. "And isn't that why I hired you? I really don't know what to wear for tonight."

Fujiyama narrowed her eyes slyly and purred. "Heehee. Depends on whether you plan to get laid or not."

"_What? _That's not—that's—" she spluttered. "It's just a date! A first date, actually…"

"Hmm, is it with Sawada?"

She spluttered even more. "_What the hell gave you that idea?_"

"Nothing, nothing. Just saying that Shin is a pretty cool guy if you try not to think of him as a lil' boy. They will be graduating soon."

"And…?"

The teacher spun at Kumiko with an astonished expression on her face. "I _mean _it's a chance! Don't you notice _anything_? That stud of yours is a hotsie—I'd be getting him for myself if he weren't so interested in you."

"He is _still _my student! And for the thousandth time, he is _not_ interested in me!" The statement sounded lame, even to her ears. It made her grumpier. Rounding at her companion's male fanclub, she exploded, devil-fashion. "And you pathetic ass-wits! If yah don't quit following us, I'll kick yer damned groins till kingdom come! Now scram!" Even hardened people would quiver at her fiery temper; they quickly backed and dissipated, muttering about freaky women in glasses.

"Really, if you keep that up you'll end up an old maid," clucked Fujiyama, quite used to her companion's strange, violent outbursts to care; the amount of yakuza movies must've addled her brain cells. "I wonder what's with you that kinked up Sawada…"

"Hey! Are you listening? There's—"

But something caught Fujiyama's attention and she waved ahead. "Well, well! Talk of the devil."

Breath hitched momentarily at Kumiko's throat as she mechanically turned sideways. As their eyes met, her insides lurched nervously. The strange pain she had forced to dull seemed to sharpen with vengeance. Her heart seemed to thrum with uncharacteristic rabbit-like tension, drowning all other sounds and noises, even colors. Their last conversation, three weeks ago, seemed to ring in her ears until she could finally see it vividly and clearly as it happened…

* * *

"Your date will be tomorrow?" Shin had inquired casually. They were on the rooftop, peacefully watching the thick stratus formation. Kumiko started at the sudden turn of conversation but answered nonetheless. 

"Cancelled," when he looked at her in surprise, she answered softly. "He had some business to attend to. Anyways, I thought you'd still be sick and agreed." He looked at her questioningly and she added. "I'm not sure I'd want to go off with you being sick and all."

"Ah…" His face was unreadable. "I just thought…"

"Thought what?"

"…nothing."

With a thought, she added. "Drink lotsa water and pineapple juice—don't forget."

"Like I'll ever forget!" he snorted. "My fridge's full of that crap 'coz of you."

"Hn. Just to be sure my li'l boy dun get sick no more," she grinned teasingly. The conversation, it seemed for a moment, had been steered from the original topic. But the redhead cottoned to it immediately.

"About your date…"

"Oh. Yeah. About that. Well. As I said, he has a meeting. I dunno what it's about. Just came up, see." She frowned momentarily; Shin gave her a look over.

"Are you…disappointed?" he asked hesitantly.

"No, not really," she murmured honestly. Shin stared at her again, and her face warmed. Hurriedly, she added. "Anyways—I'd still have to agree no matter what. I can't interfere with his work—business is business."

His voice was tight as he spoke. "Your point being…?"

What was her point exactly? Did she even want to point out something? The beauty unfolding in the sky was distracting but as the meaning of her own words registered in her mind she felt suddenly anxious. This was the opening she had been waiting for, but she didn't exactly plan it to be like this either. She peered at his intent expression, all distractions were forgotten. "I _mean_ he has to work first. And—and you know, between personal things and business, you choose business first 'coz that's important—coz personal things should not mix with non-personal things—like—like—"

"You and Shinohara?"

"Yes, and—

"Teachers and students?"

"Right—I mean, no! That's not it!" How did this happen? She felt trapped. Why did her reasoning sound dull and unconvincing? It used to be easy to talk down on him, to insinuate her superiority even when she was wrong. Why now? "Teachers and students are very personal things—both affect each other; growing, side by side in knowledge, experience and—and—"

"Love."

"Yes…could be that, too," she whispered almost inaudibly. Her hands gripped the metal railing.

For a moment, she thought it was done when he suddenly asked. "I wonder…what do you feel about teachers and students—is it possible for love between them?" Every bone in his body seemed tense. Suddenly, she realized that she was tensing up, too."

"There is love—familial love." He stiffened at her words; she bit her lower lip and went on despite the irrational screaming in her head. "But beyond that is _also_ beyond the ethical laws. There are boundaries—"

"Huh. Boundaries. Is that really just it? Or am I still too much of a boy to you, Yamaguchi?" He spat bitterly.

"I'm not—we're not talking about us!"

"Then what the hell are we talking about? Tell me, am I still a hundred years away from you?"

"That is one of the _many_ boundaries—"

"Bullshit. You didn't seem to care when I kissed you. Or do you need reminding?"

"Don't you dare!" she gritted eyeing him dangerously. Taking a deep breath, she said in a controlled manner. "Sawada, I know you're through a rough patch of teenage crap but I suggest you get over this—this _infatuation_ you're having."

Shin threw his head back like a wounded stag, disbelief written all over his face. "After all—everything—you think I'm just going through teenage angst? And that I'm fucking infatuated—"

"Well, what do you want me to call it?" she was shaking all over now. The words were spilling from her, even when she didn't mean it. At that moment, the most necessary thing was to defend herself from that unknown thing numbing her insides; and if that meant grabbing any jabbing and ludicrous idea and hurling it, then she would. "You are young, Sawada. There are six years worth of life and experience between us. Your interest in me and my family must have affected you—deluding you to mistake admiration for love."

"Do you still know what you're saying? 'Cause I think you don't!"

"I don't!" she shouted. Kumiko breathed sharply and continued. "I don't know anymore! You're confusing me, and I hate you!"

"I'm confusing you? You're the one I can't understand—you go around kissing your damned lawyer, discussing your relationship with him—pretending that there's nothing between us when there damn is—"

"There is nothing between us!"

"Deny it all you want but you can't deny that we kissed—"

"You started the kissing! _You _initiated!"

"And you reacted!" Shin was really angry now. He looked as though he wanted to wring some sense into her. "I kissed you, and you kissed me back! You wanted it—you wanted me, too!"

"Damn you!" she hissed. "I hate you."

He stepped closed to her and whispered in a tone which made her shiver. "How sure are you?"

An arm—his arm—suddenly snaked around her shoulders. Shin's jaw was pressed urgently against her cheekbone. The words were gone from her throat; her body was frozen. "You rescued me from my dad, welcomed me in your family, helped me in dozens of scrapes, stayed with me every time in this rooftop. We've always understood each other, taken care of each other these past months, held each other. I've kissed you—twice, and you kissed back both times. And you tell me you hate me. I wonder how you love some one."

"Bastard," she croaked through bone-dry throat. He chuckled ironically. The sound hurt her ears.

"Boundaries…" he uttered softly against her. The muscles of her neck tensed, sending pricking sensations to her eyelids.

"Damn it, Yamaguchi. I already know that," His mouth was pressed earnestly on her hair. The pleading in his voice seemed to wrench her heart. "I know. But I wish that I could forget they exist."

_I want that, too, _she wanted to blurt. Instead, Kumiko stayed her tongue as he breathed softly against her hair again.

"Don't say anything anymore. After all—there is nothing, is there?" He pulled back and looked at her strangely, almost hopefully; unwanted tears slid down her cheeks. But she wetted her lips and lowered her eyes as she whispered the fatal words.

"No. There is nothing—after all."

And with a final sigh, Shin retreated and left the rooftop. It rained soon after that. She stayed longer; the coldness in her heart was something not even the strong pellets of water could penetrate. "Shin…"

* * *

A hand waved in front of her and she jumped back with a yelp. Fujiyama looked at her with mingled curiosity and amusement. "What happened to you—you were staring at Shin as though he's a ghost!" 

"A-ah! Nothing! I just—just remembered something. What were you saying?" she said, giving her full focus to Fujiyama.

"I was saying that we might need a male audience to comment on the clothes you'll be wearing—so I just asked Sawada here—" and with that she pulled the redhead eagerly close to her large bosom. "—to come with us!"

"Sawada—come…with us…?" The world seemed to spin out of focus. What had she done to deserve this? She breathed in to calm her nerves but her answer deviated from serenity. "_WHAT_!"

Fujiyama bubbled on musically. "Yes, I know! Isn't that wonderful! Ho-ho-ho!"

"But—but—" Kumiko Yamaguchi looked at Shin, who was vainly prying himself off Fujiyama. "Are you sure…you want to come?"

Shin rolled his eyes and she had to smile in spite of herself. "Not that I have a choice."

"Ex-ce-llent! Let's go!" With that, Fujiyama marched on energetically leaving two sighing, trying hard not to bump into each other as they followed.

For the hundredth time, Shin slapped himself mentally. _What the hell am I doing here? _From the way Kumiko looked at him, he knew she was thinking of their last conversation three weeks ago. Since then, they carefully avoided each other; they amazingly never met during any of his sparring sessions with Kyou. It was from the older man that he learned that the well-celebrated date was moved thrice before settling to tonight's last day event on the visiting circus.

_What was I to do? Forget that she's my teacher! She's Kuroda's ojou; I'm the son of a high ranking police officer! Even without that hindrance, there was that damned lawyer, too…_

_Don't excuse your cowardice. Admit it, _answered his conscience. _You were afraid—you didn't want to be rejected so you turned tail._

Was he really afraid? Perhaps, there was that, too. He was never a person to hope for too much. He grew up knowing how expectations could fall into the most painful failures. He was sure of how he felt for her; could he be sure of what she felt for him? With Shinohara around, everything was uncertain.

_I can't interfere with her. It's wrong to confuse her—she wants Shinohara, not me. I don't want to betray Kuroda. It was hard but—_

"Sooo, what do you think, Sawada-san?" Something sheer and red was suddenly flaunted between his eyes, jumping him back to present.

"That—that is…" Words failed him; he flushed somewhat.

"Fujiyama-sensei! I'm not planning to seduce anyone!" choked Kumiko, turning red and white alternately.

"Why not?" The blonde retorted innocently, dangling the stringy, lacey T-back with two fingers. "And this isn't for seducing—this is so you have nice looking lingerie for when you finally—"

"_For the last time, I am not planning to get laid!_" Kumiko looked like an aggravated blowfish; the hair sticking out of the matronly bun she wore today seemed to promote the idea further. Shin couldn't help but chuckle in spite of himself, which earned him dagger-glares from the petite woman. "And whatever I do wear under my garments isn't the issue today. Maybe I should just wear a traditional kimono…"

"Do you seriously want a _disaster?_!" came Fujiyama's shocked tone. Shaking her head, she continued. "I'm not gonna make you walk around on just undies—personally, I think you need something more simple than glamorous…. What do _you _think, Sawada-san?"

Shin frowned for a moment, looking at Kumiko (who blushed immediately under his stare). He wasn't sure if he wanted to give the woman she loves advice on her dating clothes. But he _had _promised not to get in her way—that meant staying the good friend and student. Also meant being impartial and unbiased. He hesitated before mumbling softly. "You're right, Fujiyama-sensei. She needs something simple to bring out her natural looks. If—if I were the man she was dating—" He eyed her intensely. Kumiko looked away. "—I'd prefer her wearing something which would be more comfortable, since we'd be going to a carnival. A couple of jeans and a casual top—if you could live without your glasses, it'd be nice, too. And," with a breath he didn't know he had been holding, he added. "I'd like to have you with your hair down."

There was a pregnant pause. Shin resisted the urge to punch himself. He felt he had gone too far. _What if Fujiyama gets the hint? _He reddened slightly and added hurriedly. "That is—of course—if I were the guy."

"Sawada, you—" murmured Kumiko.

"That's it!" cried Fujiyama gleefully. Walking to one stack of clothes, she pulled and studied some outfits. "Lemme see…this one, and here, Yamaguchi-sensei! I found the perfect set for you!" The blonde pushed her partner inside a changing cubicle. "Hurry with that!"

"All right, all right!" she screamed from inside.

Then, the two sat on waiting benches. Five minutes passed in separate reverie when Fujiyama broke the silence.

"Thanks for riding with my whims eh, Sawada-san," said the music teacher softly.

"Ah." _It's not like I could refuse._

"You'll be graduating in a few months." He did not answer; she plunged on. "Do you already have some plans?"

He shrugged. "The usual, probably. College."

"Will that make you happy?"

The question surprised him. Why was the usually bubbly teacher interrogating him anyway? Honestly, he answered. "I don't know."

Leaning forward, she murmured gently. "Do that then. Go to college. But..." A sympathetic look passed through her face. "Don't run away. You know what I mean."

Sawada was dumbfounded. Was he that obvious? Was Yamaguchi that dense—that every one but her could read through his feelings? Deciding to act as if he didn't understand, he opened his mouth to speak when Kumiko came out.

The pale blue jeans fitted her lean, muscular legs perfectly. Ragged-styled, stitched button-holes and colorful beads were scattered stylishly back to front, from her thighs to her legs. It was partnered with a white unbuttoned stretch denim jacket, easily showing the army tank-top she wore beneath. For footwear, black boots peeped from the hem of her jeans. It was ideal.

Hanging her head embarrassedly at them, Kumiko murmured uncertainly. "So, how do I look?"

"That's perfect, Yamaguchi-sensei!" said Fujiyama, shocked.

"Not yet." Unable to resist the urge, Shin shortened the space between them until he was towering over her. Before she could protest, he pulled her hair from the limp bun, allowing it to cascade gracefully below her shoulders. Carefully, he plucked off her glasses. Smiling impishly at the surprise on her face, he murmured. "Now, _this _is perfect."

Kumiko blushed. They didn't move from their places, simply staring at each other. Looking to and fro the couple, Fujiyama sighed and grinned. "Well, I have to go somewhere…"

Waking from reverie, Kumiko shouted in panic. "W-wait, Fujiyama-sensei! Why—"

"Don't worry. Just pay that and have it wrapped. You have Shin with you anyways. Take care of her, eh, Sawada?" Before any of them could answer, the blonde winked slyly and escaped.

"That—that fox!" cried Kumiko shrilly.

"Hmph. She didn't have to tell me," muttered Shin.

"What?"

"Nothing…"

They were silent, but they were not uncomfortable. Breathing in, Kumiko said. "Listen, Sawada—I mean, Shin. I know I said a lot of crap, and—"

"Let's not talk about this," he said shortly.

"But—"

"That won't change anything. It's okay. Don't worry. We're still friends."

With a relieved sigh, she rested her forehead against his chest on impulse. "That's good to hear, I think."

He lifted his hand to stroke her hair and almost groaned. _Dammit. So near yet so far… _But remembering Fujiyama's encouragement, he smiled. The path was clearer now.

Guilty about how comfortable she was feeling with him, she slowly pulled back. "I gotta have these wrapped." As she motioned for the cubicle, Shin's hand caught hers.

"Let's go for an ice cream, later. There's still time anyway. Is it okay?" he added, almost afraid of her answer.

With a genuine smile which fluttered his insides, she replied. "I'm game."

* * *

Thirty minutes later, they were strolling downtown, shopping bags swaying as they chatted happily. The past weeks were forgotten again. For a moment, she had forgotten, and he had pretended, that they didn't have a rampant argument, that they were just normal friends, that their boundaries and problems were forgotten, that she wasn't having a date with Shinohara… 

Fifteen more minutes. Both their ice creams were gone. But they continued their stroll, occasionally hiding from people from school that might suspect them, laughing at their escapades, passing the time as thought it didn't matter.

Another ten minutes later, they stopped walking and settled down into a deserted playground. They sat on separate swings, silently regarding the sky. They've exhausted the topics; the sun was setting, too. Reality slowly assimilated itself into them again. She was Kumiko Yamaguchi again, teacher and ojou of Kuroda. He was Shin Sawada, her student and also the son of a police commissioner.

A gentle breeze waded between them, assuaging them. Softly, Shin spoke. "Whatever is your choice, I'll be happy for you."

She didn't answer; he went on. "I told you before: I know the boundaries. But I will still be waiting, and I will be fighting. I will…fight for you until I win." The words sounded too corny, too unlike him, but he couldn't stop. "I'll only lose if you want me to."

"You know that Shinohara asked me to marry him."

"Have you answered?" It was rhetorical but he had to ask to make a point. "Do you still love him?"

There was still no answer and he immediately knew she was unsure. "Tonight, you have a date with him. It's a good chance…to confirm how you feel."

Kumiko raised her brow at him and scoffed. "You sound pretty sure of yourself."

"I'm not," he admitted bitterly.

"What if I do love him?" she challenged.

Raising a brow in return, he answered. "As long as you don't get married before I graduate, I won't stop trying." _And if you do set a date before I graduation, I still won't stop. _

The sun was completely down; the street lanterns lit up automatically. They took it as a cue to leave. Cupping her face, Shin murmured. "I hope you don't wear your hair down for him."

Smirking at his arrogance, she answered. "Don't worry. I will."

"Bitch," he hissed close to her mouth.

"Fucking bastard," she scowled into his lips, unable to withdraw from his contact. Kumiko relished the heat which coursed through their pinched bodies, headily arching her back towards him. To hell with rules! Shin tightly wound his arms around her, synchronizing his movements with hers. He forgot everything he had told her before. Nothing else mattered.

Suddenly angry with herself, with what she was feeling, with how irrationally she was acting, Kumiko wrenched herself away and wiped her lips disgustedly. "Dammit, Shin! I have a date—I'm going to see Shinohara! I feel like a two-timing dirty bitch. You asshole!"

"You wanted it, too," he smirked.

Muttering to herself about self-centered pricks, she turned tail, shopping bags flying with her. When she disappeared from view, Shin made his own trek home. He smiled to himself. Fujiyama was right: he really had been running away. The fight wasn't over—he won't back down yet if he could help it. He shook his head, as though to ward off any approaching moods and doubts. Somehow, he felt that the night's ordeal wasn't over yet.

He could not have been more right.

* * *

(sigh) I know it ain't good enough. But I'll make up for the next one. The next one'll definitely be better. So tell me, what do you think? 

**Trash?**

**Garbage?**

**Bollocks?**

Please review! Thanks!


	11. Love and Cotton Candies

**Whew! Took me a while to update this! I know I write at snail's pace, but I can't help it! Our classes are so hectic, I wanna go and mope somewhere far otherworldly. I really am lacking in sleep. I wanna sleep! (tear) **

**So, in between my papers, assignments, projects, reviews and deadlines, I write a few paragraphs (especially when I think up something good). Please, **_**please, **_**I beg of thee, my wonderful inexorable readers, to be just and patient unto my broken heart. In case of typos, and other errors, please inform me. When I have time, I'll proofread this. I know it's kinda unprofessional of me to update without proper proofreading, but I sometimes feel that if I don't try to update, I'll forget doing it altogether. Make sense? I know, I have weird thoughts which make me weird in a not so weird way. **

**Ironically, along with all those stuff, love problems bother me. Why do they anyway? I don't wanna think about it! Huhu. I guess they're influencing some of my writings right now. I might be guilty of OOC, too. But I felt that they were necessary. Anyways, you can review me later and tell me what you think, neh?**

**Anyways, stop it with my ramblings! Here is the next installment! Read on and have fun!**

* * *

**Love and Cotton Candies**

Kumiko Yamaguchi stepped out of the hot shower, and leisurely wrapped herself with a towel. Her demeanor now far differed from the winded and adrenaline-shot woman who arrived huffing at the wooden gates thirty minutes earlier; calmness seemed to radiate in pools from her deliberate movements. Her damp soles padded over the polished wooden rafts, enjoying the freedom nudity allowed her, before plopping onto the mattress. She even settled for humming some unknown tune to herself as she dried her hair with a separate towel. Truly, nothing calms more than a good, hot and long shower!

Her eyes fell on the clothes lying neatly a few inches away and her peace was momentarily shattered. A line creased her forehead. _That's right. I'm going to a date. Date. With Shinohara. _

_With Shinohara._

A year ago, Yamaguchi would have been exhilarated at the idea, would have gushed for weeks, would have hysterically celebrated probably at the prospect of the idea of spending even a single "alone" minute with Shinohara. She would have swooned at the man's feet after the unexpected kiss and proposal that fateful night. She would have accepted without a second's delay. She would have insisted marrying him on the spot even if that meant dragging him to the nearest, most available temple.

So many "would haves"…

…which was exactly _what_ brought the frown.

Because right then, as she fingered the rough yet reassuring texture of her jacket, Kumiko felt that she no longer shared the same sentiments as that woman a year ago. The past few months…weeks…days…were too catalytic, drastically so. Despite her resolve to put her budding feelings for Shin behind her, this afternoon's meeting with him seemed to crush it with vengeance. She couldn't even resist kissing him. She _even _initiated. She _couldn't _stop. She _didn't _want to.

Kumiko closed her eyes and bit her lower lip savagely, almost enough to draw blood but not quite. _God, she could almost taste him again! _She cursed inwardly. How in the world could she possibly go on a date with someone when her mind was so full of some one else?

_Do you still love him? _He had asked.

_Do I still love him? _Wondered Kuroda's ojou. _Do I still love Shinohara?_

She could never forget how he came into her life, into her family's life, much like a knight in a shining armor. More like a prince—he always seemed so regal, so noble, so wise; he always seemed so much above her even though she was technically higher than him. How could anyone _not _love him? Even when he seemed admittedly quite distant and cold, as though careful to maintain a gap between them—even then—she used to sense him concern, not just because it was his job, but because he was genuinely so. Concerned. These years, he became a wonderful part of the family. Of course, as wonderful as it was, it was also painful. She should have contented herself with just watching him, with the minced and careful affection he showered for her. She should have been. But she was not; she was naïve. She had made her intentions clear. But…

A dull pain shot through her head. Peace was definitely dead now. She kneaded her temple with her knuckles; memories of unrequited love _hurt. _

She remembered…she had always made her feelings for him clear. How unclear could it be when she would spend every free time away from college on him? But again, there was that gap, that distance—she couldn't understand why he was so determined to keep it. She used to imagine that he loved her secretly, too. And pain inevitably followed every time he would laugh her off, shrug her off like a child—some immature kid who can't comprehend the true meaning of love. Since Kyou wasn't there during most of those times, she visited him, happy with seeing a familiar and sympathetic face, but somehow, she knew he saw though her wide grins. She knew her keen grandfather sensed her strains but didn't intervene. By the time she graduated from college, she felt was already numb to his coolness. But the feelings didn't end. She was just too blinded to see.

Now, she realized that her feelings this past year were quickly approaching demise. She didn't notice it. She was too preoccupied of thinking of how much she loved Shinohara to notice that _that _was all she had left: an illusion of the perfect man. That itself was inevitable; he is after all, her first love, as mushy as that may sound. Once one meets the perfect man, everything else seems second rate; every quality is doomed to comparison. She felt that she was stuck to that man, that she would no longer learn to love anyone else, that she'd rather spend the rest of her life an old maid than live without her knight.

That was until she became a teacher, and gradually got acquainted with her sharp and rebellious red-headed student.

_Do you still love him? _Shin's eyes seemed to bore into hers.

"Do I still love him?" Kumiko whispered to herself. Moving her lips in a taut and determined line, she stood up and hauled the hangers which held the clothes gingerly.

_Tonight...Tonight I will know._

* * *

The 18 year-old red head was debating whether or not he should repeat his drinking spree when a loud knock interrupted him. He closed his eyes wearily for a moment. Maybe he could pretend no one's at home…or that he's asleep…right… 

Three more rough raps, then, "Young Master! Are you in there?"

_Kyou-san? Maybe Yankumi's… _Quickly, Shin rolled off his bed and hurried to the door. Opening it, he was met with the older man's usual goofy grin. "Eh? Starin' ain't nice, you know that?"

And Shin _had _been staring. Why was the man even here, anyways? Shaking his head, he said his lone inquiry out loud. "What're you doing here?"

Instead of looking miffed, Kyou's grin went wider. "You don't sound pleased."

He shrugged. "Just surprised."

"Disappointed, eh?"

"Huh?" But he looked away. _A bit, _he wanted to say but decided against it. Kyou nodded, seeming to understand. "Wanna come in?"

"Nah," said Kyou pleasantly. "Just passed to tell ya that I'm gonna go patrolling some parts. I thought ya'd wanna come, that is, if you've got nothing to do."

A dozen questions passed through his head. "I—not really. But won't Kumiko get angry?"

"It'll be alright. We won't tell ojou."

"Where is this, anyway?"

"Hehe, tell you when we get there. There's something special I need you for."

"And what's that?" Shin felt slightly suspicious and intrigued in spite of himself.

"Where's the fun if I tell you now?"

Sawada chewed on his inner cheek. It was definitely a better option than slowly torturing himself over a certain teacher. And it just might relieve him of his agitations. This adventure could be just the thing.

"Alright," he answered finally. "Come in here first. I'll just change."

Kyou smiled predatorily and an unheeded shiver climbed through Shin's spine. Why does he feel that the man was planning something? "Good. Oh, and change into something comfortable…maybe a couple of jeans. So you could move around more easily…."

* * *

"You look beautiful as always, Kumiko." 

The woman ducked her head in embarrassment. "Thanks, grandpa."

"You look as beautiful as your mother, if not more," added Kousuke who especially passed by to wish her luck.

"Now that's really too much, Uncle Kousuke! But thanks!" she grinned, turning a shade in pleasure at being complimented by the man she regarded as a father.

"I'm not kidding—especially with your hair down like that…"

"Ah, yes…" she murmured wistfully, tugging at a thick lock. It wasn't for Shinohara—it was more for herself. A sign of defiance. She would not give Shin the satisfaction of knowing that she heeded his words. "I just thought I'd give it a try—"

"And you've thought right." Her eyes widened and she whirled, surprised. Her date was just standing behind her in his immaculate suit, holding a single red rose towards her. A flush passed through her face and she felt herself smiling consciously as he took her hand and lingeringly kissed her fingertips. As she marveled at the beautiful, freshly picked bud in her hands, Shinohara greeted and bowed before the two superiors. "Thank you for allowing me to take the ojou away tonight."

"For as long as you keep her safe, Shinohara," said Kuroda, crooked brows extending upwards in meaning.

"I understand."

"Well, enjoy yourselves, Shinohara, Kumiko…and I also give you my blessings…_for as long as you keep her safe_," repeated Kousuke with threatening emphasis, sounding more father-like than usual. The pointed glare he directed at Shinohara was received by the usual formal thin-lipped smile, an elusive borderline between courtesy and discourtesy.

"I shall keep that in mind. Shall we go, Kumiko?" he asked, extending his hand to her. Gingerly, Kumiko accepted and, with one final moment with Wada's boss and Kuroda, left.

The garden was remarkably cool. The tension they thought was not there dissipated with their disappearance. "Is it really alright…this?" said Kousuke, breaking the silence.

Kuroda looked at the younger man sharply before looking down at the shimmering pond. "I trust Kumiko's judgment."

"But…she seems different—troubled."

Silence. Then—

"I cannot doubt the ojou but, can that Shinohara really make her happy?"

"Only Kumiko can answer that question," said the older man sagely.

"Aa. You are right, Boss."

The two settled inside, and left the doors wide open. Early blossoms fell from the large tree outside, falling lazily onto the pool. Both were too occupied with their private thoughts to speak or begin a conversation. It was peaceful and comfortable anyway.

Kousuke's eyes widened suddenly as his eyes spanned through the garden. "Boss—"

"What is it?" But his eyes widened, too, as he saw it.

A black cat stared at them from under the shade of the tree. The two hardened men, superstitious as they are, suppressed their shudders.

"Kumiko will be safe," said Kousuke reassuringly.

Kuroda didn't answer; instead, he watched the black cat as it purred, and elegantly stretched its lithe body before jumping over the fence. The man frowned and internally cursed the creature for clouding his peace.

* * *

"Why are we here?" came Sawada's voice from behind the young Chief, voice lingering between a deadpan and a grumble. 

Kyou swung his head at Shin, grinning cheekily, cigarette hanging limply between his teeth. "This is part of the family's territory. Gotta make sure everythin's safe and sound in the yer own yard, right?"

"I know that but—" Shin sighed, vainly trying to control his temper. Not that it would do much for _him_; it would probably amuse the older man. Someone bumped him from behind and apologized quickly. Then, there was another one, this time a child plummeting past him—no apologies this time. _Yes, it was really _that_ crowded. _It was also incredibly noisy, that with noisemakers tooting all over the place, with balloons flying and popping randomly. Misplaced confetti were constantly being scattered either by with or by numerous sets of feet. It was amazing how there was hardly any room left to breathe in such a wide, wide space. It was so noisy, too; he had to strain to hear Kyou's voice.

"Yeah?"

"Kyou-san—" he stepped close to the other man and half-shouted over the ruckus. "Why are we here?"

"I told'ya, this is a patrol—"

"No! _Why did you bring me _here?"

"Eh?" Kyou scratched his head; Shin wasn't sure he feigning or was truly coincidentally stupid. "What's wrong with here?"

"This—" said Shin, losing his cool and gesticulating wildly at his surroundings. "—_is the circus! _The _carnival!_"

" 'Course it is! I swear, Young Master, you must be getting stupid," the grin on Kyou's face was too indiscernible.

_Now, I'm the stupid one. _"Get to the point. You want to spy on Yankumi."

"Wrong. I want _us _to spy on ojou."

Sawada wanted to die on the spot. _I should've known._ "Let me off the hook on this one, ok?"

Placing a heavy hand on Shin's shoulder, Kyou began his speech. "Young Master, I know you want to know how this will be turning out as well. I'm not sure how deep your feelings are for ojou (sniff) but as a man, I know how it is to love a woman (and a lot much more, I assure you). Love is a truly wonderful thing for us youth (_Us? _Shin grimaced). Love will keep us young and passionate and alive! So if you must, then fight for it! Even if it is most impossible! Don't give up, until you _die_! This is a man's pride: to fight for the one he loves! (sniffles)…."

Shin stared at the man helplessly as he sobbed his last lines, snot trickling, eyes twinkling both with shed and unshed tears: "This is the ultimate power of LOVE!"

_Shit, _thought Sawada as he awkwardly patted the man's back. People were really starting to look._ He's really into it. And I can't even get what he's trying to say._

"Shin? Oi, SHIN!" Two clowns came bobbing towards him. Fortunately, or rather unfortunately, he recognized the voices.

"Ucchi? Minami!" _What the hell're you guys doing here!_

As though hearing the unspoken question, Ucchi all but squealed excitedly. "Man, this is the place we've been talking about! Remember? That sideline thing Noda was saying? Well, we decided that we really wanted to tag along."

"Hehe. Extra cash is good, yah know."

"Yeah."

"So, where's Noda? Is Kuma here, too?"

Minami scratched his red nose in thought. "No—his Momma sent him to help out som'at—really can't remember what—but he said the guy he'll be helping'll be paying him a few bucks for the trouble."

"And Noda?"

"He's the cotton candy vendor—hey, um, you're Shin's uncle, right?" said Ucchi with a confused expression at the Young Chief. And there was a reason, too; the whole time, Kyou, red-rimmed and snotty, still had his heavy hands over Shin's shoulders as though his life depended on it.

"Uh, yeah, actually," muttered Shin as he slowly extricated himself from the grasp. Kumiko had told him that Kyou visited him when he was sick, and the woman excused him as a very close uncle. "Kyou is a distant relative."

"Oh? How distant?" grinned the freckled boy teasingly. Fortunately, the Young Chief didn't get the dirty joke; unfortunately, Shin was in no mood for idiocy.

"_Distant_," he glowered with emphasis. "Do you doubt me?"

"N-no—I wasn't meaning to annoy you; I'm a clown you know, trying to be funny," sain Ucchi hurriedly.

Sighing, the redhead rubbed the back of his neck; perhaps the stress was getting him a bit cranky after all. "It's okay, Ucchi. And you're funny without trying."

"R-really, Shin?!" he exclaimed, proud at being complimented by their leader.

"Hey, Shin! How 'bout me?" asked Minami. Shin resisted the urge to roll his eyes; it was just like his friends to get so worked up over something so simple. Yet, after being acquainted with the yakuza, he realized why they act as they do: they respected and loved him as their leader.

"Yes, you, too, Minami," and he had to grin in spite of himself. All the while, Kyou observed the interaction between the youths and smiled to himself. This boy—man!—was indeed the yondaime that the Kuroda's would need.

"Now, I'm hungry! Is that a hotdog stand I see over there?" said Kyou loudly pointing into a direction above the people's heads. When the two turned to look, he winked discreetly at Shin. With a nod, the redhead quickly disappeared into the crowd without the two noticing a thing.

"That's an ice cream stand."

"Ah, no matter; my eyesight must be getting really bad. I'm really hungry—and thirsty, too. Care to lead me somewhere?"

Minami looked at the man, startled. "Uh, sure, Mr—"

"Just call me, Kyou-san. Or Uncle Kyou if you want," offered the older man with a grin.

"Sure, this way, Uncle Kyou!" said Ucchi, immediately liking the gangster. "And—hey! Where's Shin?"

"Ah, don't worry 'bout him. I'm sure he'll be ok." He was indeed out of sight.

The teen blended stealthily into the crowd, moving in and out of stalls and tents, even taking a couple of balloons and pretending to look interested in some exhibits to look discreet. After ten minutes, he finally caught sight of them, and he was careful to shadow the two from a distance. He frowned; she was laughing at something the lawyer whispered into her ear. She seemed to be having fun. And—he noted with a mixture of annoyance and amusement—her hair was down, too; Yankumi surely did it to spite him.

Kumiko was dressed appropriately; she looked really beautiful in her outfit, especially without the donned glasses and the pigtails. The light makeup she applied was added bonus; her cheeks favored a pink blush, and her painted lips seemed so rosy and plump. He groaned; he could almost feel her mouth colliding with his again, could almost taste her slick tongue playing with his own. Shaking his head to calm his raging thoughts, he glanced at Shinohara and raised a brow. People didn't normally wear business suits in carnivals, do they? He looked so out of place. And Kumiko's arm was linked with his—that, too, didn't seem right.

He wasn't sure if it was bias which made him feel such, but at that moment, Shin felt that the only person he could picture with Kumiko at that moment was…himself.

* * *

"That last show was pretty hilarious, wasn't it?" Grinned Kumiko happily. The queasiness in her stomach was gone; somehow, she felt at home with Shinohara again. For some reason, she felt that she missed him tremendously. 

Shinohara shared her expression. "Yes, it was. Especially when the magician tripped over his boot and toppled the table—"

"—and the rabbit was revealed to be there all along!"

"Haha!"

"A complete disaster!" they chorused, and they laughed gleefully again.

"I really thought you were going to punch that guy that was looking you over," said Shinohara amusedly.

Shocked expression. "Eh? He was?"

A smirk. "Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because if I did, you'd probably not be enjoying the show. And anyways, it can't be avoided; you're really beautiful tonight, Kumiko-chan."

Nudging his arm lightly with a tiny blush, she muttered. "You're just flattering me."

"But I am not." They reached a cotton candy corner. Turning to the man fishing out the candy with the stick, the lawyer asked. "Tell me, young man, isn't she the prettiest flower here?"

Kumiko opened her mouth to protest; instead her mouth dropped. It was Noda, wearing the cheerful carnival staff uniform, which was taking care of the stand!

As her mind whizzed with excuses she could offer, Noda answered in a cheerfully honest tone. "Yes, sir! Ain't seen nothing like her these past few hours." To her surprise and relief, she realized that, because of her look, Noda failed to recognize her. A slight twitch of annoyance followed; does she really look that _dowdy _at school?

_Oh my gosh! My student's grinning at me like a manic idiot! And is he…blushing? Gods, the world must be coming to an end!_

Her shrewd conscience seemed to mutter in her ear. _There is some _other _student who showers you with attention…more so if I'm not mistaken._

Breathing deeply to control her temper, she smiled forcedly at Noda—why of all times did she have to think of Shin now? "Thank you," she said as her cotton candy was handed to her by Noda the vendor.

"No problem, cute miss."

The lawyer received his own candy and paid the youth extra bonus. Noda thanked him with a grateful bow as they walked away. "See? Even he agrees."

"Yeah, yeah. I get your point, Shinohara-sensei."

"You're really too formal with me."

Kumiko bit into her candy and looked up at him questioningly, "Then what do you want me to call you?"

"It's for you to decide, really. After all, we'll be getting married soon enough."

At this Kumiko frowned. She really hadn't answered him yet; why was he assuming so much?

"I—"

_Cring. Criiiing._

The man took out his phone from his pocket. "Excuse me, Kumiko-chan—Good evening…yes…?"

The woman bit her lower lip and generously took the candy from him to convenience him. He thanked her with his usual smile and returned to his conversation. Meanwhile, Kumiko looked down at the two sticks of cotton candy on her hands. The date was turning well, she knew, but at the same time, she felt that something was wrong about the whole set-up. Peering up at the curt business-like expression on the lawyer's face as he nodded into his phone, she felt deep overwhelming sadness.

Was it really too late for her—for them—to have a chance?

"We could take down that—"

_He was the first man I have ever truly loved outside my family. He taught me many things. I loved him…_

But there was Shin…is it possible to love two people at the same time?

"—you need not worry about that—"

_I've always been fascinated by the precise knowledge that the arithmetic provide. My passions used to be controlled, and now…_

Kumiko longed to reach out to the man standing aloofly beside her, but for some reason, the cotton candy in her hand seemed to big an obstacle. She needed to know…she wanted to know…

_If we stop here, would we have anything left? If I try to regain what's lost, would we have anything to look forward to?_

She gulped and opened her mouth to speak; no words came out.

He chuckled gently. "No, of course not. But we could arrange that—"

_Will we be happy together?_

_Do you love me?_

_Do I still love you?_

Now. Now or never. She sighed and cleared her throat in early preparation. He was already saying his goodbyes.

"Don't worry…yes. And? Okay, okay. Be right there. Bye."

Her heart jumped. _Be right there?_

"Sorry for making you wait, Kumiko-chan," said Shinohara cheerfully as he carefully pocketed his phone.

"Uh—it's okay. Who was that, Shinohara-sensei?"

"Ah, work. I've been taking a sideline—a partnership with one of my college friends in the Uni."

The world seemed to spin as her tumultuous mind pieced the information together. She kept her voice calm. "Y-you're going to meet him now?"

His excited expression softened and he took her hands into his, unmindful of the candy sticks on her hand, or the obstruction it made between their faces. "Yes. I'm afraid I'll have to leave you—but it will only be a few minutes."

"It's important, huh?"

Shinohara nodded. She smiled forcedly up at him, feeling more and more upset. Yet she knew she should not interfere. Somehow, her questions were answered and they made her angry and helpless.

"Well—don't let me keep you."

"I'll be back, ok?"

"No—no, it's really alright. Don't let me interfere with your dreams and ambitions, alright, sensei?" It was already too much effort to keep her voice straight.

"I will call you then. Thank you, Kumiko-chan." And without another word, he hurriedly dropped a kiss onto her mouth and left off, disappearing into the crowd.

He left his cotton candy. The outside frost clouds were starting to melt, sugar particles dropping onto her hands.

It was too disappointing to fall in love with a dream.

The confused Kumiko tried to control her feelings, to level her breathing. So her first love left her on their first date. So what? It's not like she liked her as much as she used to; she had admitted to herself that she was building a self-made image of him.

But it still _hurt_.

Her throat began to constrict in unbearable intensities, her eyes stung as though teased with pins. The shaking of her cheeks and itching on her nose—these were all telltale signs of a heartrending, heartbreaking, heartbroken crying.

It was then that a familiar weight rested on her shoulder. Turning her head, she saw the face that never seemed so comforting. "Shin…" An unwanted tear rolled down her cheek, followed by another, and another. The expression on his face was unreadable; anyways, her eyes were too clouded to see much of it.

Deftly, he grabbed the untouched cotton candy from her—the one supposedly for Shinohara. "You should share if I'm gonna accompany you."

His cockiness urged a hysterical giggle from her. "Who said you're going to—"

But he silenced her by dabbing the wet trails on her face with his handkerchief. He commanded her to sneeze into the tissue he took from his pockets; like a child who growled and glowered for a moment, she obeyed. She felt better after that. "What are you doing here anyways?"

"You don't want me here?"

She hesitated. Disappointed, he began to step back but was held up as her fingers curled with his. "Don't leave."

Tightening his hand over hers, he gazed deeply into her eyes and whispered with emphasis. "I won't."

They remained like that for a moment. The noise around them seemed to dull, the sadness in her heart finally outweighed by this comfortable familiarity. Warmth gradually spread back to her system as they smiled at each other.

"Come on," he tugged. "Let's go grab some fun."

And with half-melted cotton candies and happier faces, they dove hand in hand into the carnival crowd.

* * *

**Another cliffie! Heehee. Well, not exactly a cliffie. But it is an abrupt stop. Is it?**

**So, how was it? (nervously hides under a giant dish) **

**Small?**

**Big?**

**Or Big-big?**

**(No, it's **_**not**_**what you think. I just remembered a famous bubble gum commercial when I was like—five—which made such inquiries…and then they'll be saying, "This bubble gum is small!" "But I don't wanna small bubblegum…") **

* * *


	12. A Beautiful Disaster

Hello, everyone! Here I am again in this very late update. This past month was incredibly busy—no joke! The exams were horrible; I want to cry, really. Imagine studying really hard…for naught! But what made me regret most was the fact that I have none else to blame, knowing it was partially my fault for being so lax in my studies (because I hardly do). I know…I hate myself too. But I really tried this time...and it hurts...huhu.

Anyways, here is the update! Thanks for all your wonderful reviews...really raised my spirits. By the way, I've edited this one. Thanks to _Leaviel _for pointing out some of the errors. If you find some more, please inform me. Please read and enjoy!

* * *

**XI. Beautiful Disaster**

"Haha! I win!" Kumiko squealed triumphantly, waving her ball-gun and her price in the air: a large and bright red lollipop.

"Your _voice _hurts," said Shin, mock-rubbing his ear.

She stuck out her tongue at him childishly. "_You're _just envious! You didn't even hit a single dummy!"

The jab was a direct hit…to his pride-o-meter. "Give me that." He growled fishing for coins in his pocket. The man at the stall gave him a ball-gun as he handed out some money. Narrowing his eyes, he aimed and pulled the trigger thrice; three wooden dummies collapsed.

"Very good, sir! A perfect score! Here's your price!" He received his lollipop with a smirk towards his female companion. A large grin flashed on her face.

"Hehe! I knew you could do it the second time!"

Shin raised a brow. "_You_ were just jeering."

She grinned. "Well! I knew all you needed was some motivation. You know that, too."

The redhead stared at her before shaking his head in amusement. He would always be amazed with how well she understood him.

"Come on! Let's have a go at the Swan Lake!" Enthusiastically, she pulled his hand with her free one. Shin smiled and allowed himself to be dragged along. The destination didn't matter anyway; he was too mesmerized by her. As it was, he was too pessimistic to think that it would last. But she was no longer pushing him away, too.

_Do I have a chance?_

Boldness was really not one of his best qualities. Yet the carnival-induced haziness of the evening was special. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that they had been trailing for more than two hours, jumping from booth to booth, show to show, and munching on continually-replenished candies and chocolate ice creams. Whatever the reason, he felt that he could care less. With a sudden twist of hand, he stopped her abruptly.

"Shin," she wailed. "Let's go boating—" But he pressed his mouth over hers, cutting her efficiently in a simple and chaste kiss. Her mouth was sweet with cotton candies and ice cream; he knew he must taste the same to her. Kumiko didn't resist him, even going as far as placing her palm against his chest. Passion didn't come in torrents or waves of emotion but the sweetness of the moment was there all the same. It felt so agonizingly normal that he wanted to sit down and cry, as cliché as it may sound.

Gingerly, he pulled away but kept his face close to hers, breathing the assorted scent that was his Yankumi: green tea and sweets. His right palm was on the center of her back, his other hand still squeezing her own hand. He matched her gaze with his, wondering what he would see there, pleading for affirmation—that everything was all right for her as everything was all right for him.

To his amazement, she smiled and pecked his lips again, albeit more playfully, and tugged his hand again with tenderness he never imagined her capable of. "Let's go swan-boating."

Shin grinned, matching her expression, and marched away with her, both looking like the happy fools that they were.

**ooOOoo00ooOOoo **

Uchi, Minami and Kyou were all silent as they watched the pair from a healthy distance. Finally, Uchi broke all their train of thoughts by saying something. "Shin looks really happy."

"I've never seen him like _this_," whispered Minami as though the moment was too sacred to break. "So—so—"

"Passionate," chorused the teenagers with a dreamy sigh.

Kyou sniffed. "Our dear Ojou…looks really happy, too."

"Hm? Ojou? Do you know that girl, Kyou-san?"

"Ah—?" blinked Kyou before mentally slapping himself. _Fuck! They shouldn't be seeing this! Why the fuck did I drag 'em with me. Ojou'll kill—_

"Hey, Kyou-san?" prodded Minami as the Young Chief sweated through possible alibis and solutions to his blunder.

_Should I dispose of the witnesses? No—both Young Master and Ojou will kill me for that. Or I pro'ly should just slash their tongues off—a bit messy but…_

The two shuddered as their companion's expression grew considerably darker. It eerily reminded them of Yankumi on a bad hair day. Coughing nervously, Uchi muttered lightly. "Anyways, I really don't recognize that girl. Is she one o' those hot candidates for CoEd in Shirokin?"

"Don't think so, man," said Minami thoughtfully. "We coulda remembered such a hotsie."

"But there were some hotsies!"

"Most were actually just cute chicks, yah know…"

Kyou fell back to earth at this statement. "Eh? Whaddya mean? You don't know her?"

"'Course not! Shin could get pretty secretive when it comes to his private stuff. Wonder why he never told us 'bout this babe."

"Yeah. And _we _thought Yankumi and he were like…together!"

"A-ah." Was all he managed to say. A huge nerve threatened to burst on his temple as his mind swirled. _Does Ojou look __**that **__drab at school that her "precious students" can't even tell the difference?_

"It's true! They have this weird chemistry—the air would really get hot and crackly when they're near each other!"

"Ah, forget it! Yankumi is just too flat—you could make her chest an airport runway," sniggered Uchi. To Kyou's horror, the teen added with an imaginative nosebleed. "On the second thought, it _is _an airport runway."

"Haha! Right, this one's a lot curvy—though I think she ain't too chesty, too," agreed Minami. "Whaddya think, Kyou-san…K-Kyou-san?"

Vein protruding, Kyou grabbed the two clowns by the scruffs of their costume and marched off, determined to drop them somewhere after some good, man-to-man talk about respect. "Kids nowadays," he muttered, and with a final glance back at the couple swaying towards the opposite direction, grinned.

**ooOOoo00ooOOoo **

Kousuke had long gone. The garden at the Kuroda's household was a peaceful and serene place compared to the ruckus of the circus. A few years ago, Kuroda used to come there, just so to remind the prowling ambitious groups of his presence. When his only daughter and her husband had died and the little Kumiko came into his life, his purposes for going to circuses had become more than just duty. As a child, she loved circuses, and even as she grew older, the love for such amusement parks never ebbed. Now, he preferred the quiet of the house and allowed his subordinates to do most of the patrolling. Truth be told, he knew how the family wanted him to preserve his health and decided not to worry them. It had nothing to do with senility. His underlings knew, as well as he did, that it won't be long before his end. The illnesses that come with old age were plaguing him much more now, and he knew there was but little time left in his hourglass.

This practical act of self-preservation, indeed, had nothing to do with softness. He knew, he was no fragile or brittle branch, but he knew that, once he died a little before his decided time, that Kumiko would be forced to take responsibility. Knowing her stubborn and strong-willed granddaughter, he knew it would even be possible for her to give up her dreams as a teacher than let the hard work and sacrifice of her ancestors go to waste. As it was, he was proud of the path Kumiko had chosen for herself. The only way to preserve their line without her having to give up her current life is to have her marry.

An omiai, he had seen from past experience, would not suit her; it would shameful for her to marry someone whom she cannot treat as an equal. Thus, her choice would determine who the next _yondaime_ would be. Again, he knew how slow his granddaughter can be in matters of love, which is why he needed to stay as healthy as possible, at least long enough to let her marry without pressure.

"Perhaps," he grumbled to himself whilst sipping his tea. "I _am _becoming senile."

A swift blast of wind disturbed the serenity of the garden, newly raked leaves rejoicing in entropy. He blinked for a moment to shield his eyes, and when he opened them…

…the black cat he had seen earlier was there once more.

Kuroda was generally not nervous about omens and signs. He always believed he was made of tougher caliber than that. But there was something about this cat which unnerved him very much. For one thing, though it was positioned beside the little pond some distance from him, its green eyes were staring directly at him, as though seeing something which he could not. A nagging part in his mind told him it was forthcoming disaster but he shook his head. He furrowed his brows and stared back at the cat's eyes.

"What d'you want, cat?" He didn't know why he said it out loud, and for a moment, he thought that he really was going senile…or could this be Fuji-induced foolishness? Perhaps having such a strange dog could give that effect. But this was a cat. A black cat. And the last time he had seen a black cat, something happened to his granddaughter.

To his surprise, the cat stretched and padded towards him. He didn't move even as the little demon jumped up the wooden boards. Finally, it sat down again, this time, just a few meters from him. Kuroda drew a breath waiting for something to happen. Would it start speaking?

Silence…

Staring…

Silence…

The cat yawned in boredom.

Now, Kuroda felt truly stupid indeed. But of course, even the wisest men have their "moments". He was truly gratified that no one was there to witness this.

He sighed. The cat was finally moving away much to his relief. Its presence was starting to get to his nerves, too. _There is no need to be superstitious. There is really nothing to worry about—_

Another cool blast of wind stepped into the room once more and a crashing sound behind him made him jump to his feet. An equally cool chill seemed to douse his spine as he approached the broken frame. Kuroda reached out and shook out the miniscule pieces of glass as he stared.

It was a frame with a picture of Kumiko which he had recently acquired. This was one of the very few sentimental things that he kept. And it was broken.

_Gods, _he murmured inwardly. _Could this be…another omen?_

As though on cue, he heard a soft meow and turned. There, sauntering on view was the black cat once more. With one last look, it jumped up at the walls and disappeared once again.

There were sounds of approaching and the two live-ins barged unceremoniously inside the room, both fully armed with katanas.

"Boss! We heard noise!" exclaimed Tetsu, smelling the air for intruders.

"Yeah, we—holy—" gulped Minoru as he saw the broken pieced and put two and two together. "F-forgive us for entering 'thout permission, boss. We thought—"

Both of the live-ins mumbled some frail excuses as Kuroda's mind whirled. Finally, he spoke. "Where is Kyoutarou?"

"He went to patrol Kamiyama amusement park, boss—"

"—and the carnival that was set-up there, too, boss."

Nodding curtly, he looked down at the ruined photo and decided. "Ring him up."

The live-ins glanced at each other wonderingly before scrambling off to do as they were bid. Meanwhile, Kuroda grimly set the picture back onto the table. Indeed, between the reputation of a black cat and a broken picture frame, who would want to take chances?

**ooOOoo00ooOOoo **

The couple emerged from the swan lake sweaty and warm, squabbling like kids.

"I can't believe you bumped my swan! What if it toppled and fell me over?" shrieked Kumiko.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of a little water—or don't you swim?" grinned Shin victoriously.

She scoffed throwing her hair back. "Of course I swim! I've been a varsity in our swimming club in college."

"Really?"

"Yeah," she said, hooking her arm with his as though it was the most common thing in the world. "Is it so surprising?"

"Actually, no," he grinned again and pointed his thumb at the large and wide Swan Lake: several people were simultaneously cursing and swimming towards land. "Do you think they're okay? The lake looks pretty deep."

"Heh. Don't sweat it. They'll live. And there are some lifeguards 'round that area."

"Hmph. How many?"

"You first!"

Shin narrowed his eyes at her before saying. "Ten."

It was the woman's turn to grin toothily. "HAHA! I win! I got twelve!"

"Heh. If you've only toppled over, I would've won. You said you're worth three points."

"Oh, so _that's _why you bumped me, huh?" she said in mock-anger and pinched his cheek. They were about to stroll away from the Lake when Kumiko pointed above. "Lookie! We still haven't gone there!"

"A ferris wheel?" said Shin with a raised brow.

"Why? Got somethin' 'gainst heights?"

"Not really. Just thought it ain't safe to ride those things, 'specially since they were built on such short notice."

"But we just rid the roller coaster!"

"I was against that."

Kumiko huffed. "C'mon! Don't tell me you're chickening out."

A nerve twitched in his jaw. She really knew how to pull his strings. "I'm not. It's not safe. And you gotta admit: that roller coaster was a bit rickety."

"Ooh. So that's why _you _were green!" she burst out laughing.

The redhead glared at her and wordlessly walked her towards the ticket booth. The young Kuroda grinned victoriously.

**ooOOoo00ooOOoo **

"Shin—look," she pointed out to the dark horizon full of twinkling lights. The car was moving slowly and they were halfway towards the top on the wheel's second revolution. "It's beautiful."

He peered at her bright and awed expression and smiled. _You're beautiful._

They went quiet. From this altitude, the noise of the carnival seemed to diminish. Or it could have something to do with the fact that they were sitting across each other in the carriage, completely and consciously alone and home with each other. A soft warm breeze passed through, and Shin spotted Kumiko twiddling her thumbs nervously. He bit his inner cheek in disappointment. The impromptu date was fun while it lasted, but now, that the night was approaching an end, he knew she was bound to have second thoughts. She would be guilty and remorseful about several things that would be bothering him as well, should he be in her shoes.

_But…_he thought wistfully as he turned towards the horizon, clenching the railings. _I wish you could just choose me, Yankumi._

Just as Shin thought, Kumiko was indeed having second thoughts. But it wasn't exactly what Shin was thinking. Because Kumiko Yamaguchi already had a half-formed choice. Half-formed because, she felt, that it would depend on Shin and how much he, or both of them, would be willing to sacrifice.

She coughed to clear her throat; she was truly feeling nervous. For one thing, she really didn't know how to begin speaking. But Shin spoke first.

"Why did Shinohara leave?"

Kumiko was startled; it certainly wasn't what she wanted to talk about. "He…had some things to do."

"Ah."

They fell silent. For some reason, an unwanted tension seemed rise between them. Kumiko bit her lower lip, almost tasting blood. In a desperate attempt to change the topic, she coughed and said, "The—the weather's fine today…you know."

_Shit. Lame, lame. Lame, lame, LAME! _She cursed internally. _Is that how I've come to? All I can talk about is…the fucking weather?_

Noticing her dilemma, the redhead decided to go along and nodded his head without glancing at her. "The…sky seems clear, too. You can see the moon clearly."

She perked up, not understanding why he was buying it. "Uh. Yeah." Looking up, she gasped; the moon was truly a sight to behold tonight. Dreamily, she whispered. "It's as though it is smiling down on us."

Shin thought for a moment before nodding again. "I guess. Do you think it's happy with what it is seeing?"

"Hmm. Maybe," she smiled. "Shin?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks…for tonight."

"Hn. Whatever."

She breathed deeply. _This is it. We have to talk it out now. Now…_

"Sawada Shin, I—"

The ferris wheel jerked to a stop, throwing them both off their seats. "What the hell—"

"Look—"

Both of them hurriedly looked down from the window and saw crowds below pointing and looking at something above them. Turning around to follow their gaze, she gasped: the carriage directly above theirs was shaking violently. Worse, she could hear a woman screaming inside.

"Let go of me—let go!"

"Hek-hek-hek," came a slurred and drunken voice. "No way 'm I goin' off, babe. C'mon now."

"NO! I don't—AHH! _PLEASE HELP! ANYONE! GET ME OUT OF HERE!_" the frightened scream sent an involuntary shudder through Kumiko's spine.

"Shit!" she mumbled. "Why did the maintenance stop the wheel? This shit has got to hurry down else that woman'll get raped!"

"They seem confused down there. They must be having technical problems."

"Shit. Shit. Shit!" Kumiko clenched her fists. _I gotta do something. _Her eyes wandered to the crisscross structure of the poles which hold the cars. Suddenly, she hardened her jaw and, when Shin met her eyes, he saw steely resolve.

"Yankumi, don't tell me—"

"Yes," she said through tight jaws. She kicked off her shoes; it would be easier to climb without them. "It's the only way."

"But we've got to be ten meters up!"

"They're car is just directly above ours. And I'm nimble enough, don't worry." She stepped onto the rail. Shin held on to her wrist; he had to bring some sense to her.

"I won't let you."

She froze and he gulped; immediately, Shin knew he chose the wrong words.

"I will go up there, _brat,_" she whispered, poisonously soft. "And don't yah dare stop me._ Don't follow._" Shaking him off, she jumped off the car and climbed onto the poles like a monkey.

_Stupid, stubborn woman! _Growled Shin internally. He couldn't help but feel anxious. Parts of him was amazed with this stubborn quality to help the meek, but his overpowering rational side knew it was a stupid and impulsive move. A gnawing and dreaded thought told him that this would have no happy conclusion. He gripped the handle as he twisted to follow her deft and agile movements upward. _Damn, Kumiko! Be safe._

**ooOOoo00ooOOoo **

_This is easy, _she thought calmly as she swung her body up along the poles. It reminded her vaguely of tree climbing, only this was much higher and steeper than any tree. The woman inside was still screaming and, from the way the car shook, fighting hard as well. She resolved to give the man a good kicking.

It was basically a short climb. She soon found that she could reach the rail of the target car and, carefully, she hoisted herself up. It was a sight which made her blood boil. The woman's upper vest was torn, revealing a torn bra which hardly covered anything anymore. Her skirt, too, was incredibly mussed and torn. The man, which reeked of too much sake, was toppled over her as he was forcefully trying to pry her legs apart with his knees. Her hands were held up by one hand while the other was busily manipulating her breasts. The woman's face was bruised and streaked with fresh tears.

Apparently, the inhabitants of the car were too preoccupied to slight swing she caused by her arrival. Fortunately, the car was big enough to hold a brawl. She shouted angrily, yanking the drunk off the violated woman. She punched him once in the gut and delivered a knee between his legs. The man folded and whimpered about his "balls" and "future" but Kumiko was unforgiving; she held the man's head and banged him against the plastic seats unconscious.

Controlling her breathing, she turned to tend to the victim. "It's okay now. He won't be fuckin' anyone for a while."

"Th-thanks, miss."

"Heh. It's a pleasure to kick down shit like that."

"Will you—will you—" she hiccupped.

Kumiko smiled. "Don't worry. I'll be keepin' you company till we get down. Wait just a min."

She went towards the car door and poked half her body out the open windows to look down: their car was really just directly below and there was Shin, looking up with mixed emotions in his face. A stab of pity and guilt went through her as she remembered she told him; he was only worrying after all…

"Shin! It's okay now, don't worry!" she grinned apologetically. "I—"

The woman's scream made her jump. Turning around, she was faced by the dazed drunk, his face blue and violet from her blows. But it was not his face which made him stare; it was what he was holding in his hand…

**BANG**!

Something punched her hard through her right rib, pushing her with enough force against the door. Unconsciously, she raised a hand to touch the wet spot. It was crimson red with blood…

_Of course, _she thought distantly. _You bleed when you get shot by a .45…_

Another calm thought passed through her befuddled brain. _I wonder why it doesn't hurt…?_

She inhaled and, as her lungs contracted, her head was sharpened by an equally sharp pain. She gasped. Looking up, the drunk man's face was spread with a slow smile, while the woman sat paralyzed with fear on her seat, screaming in muddled, slow voices…

_Slow…ev'rythin's so slow…_came a funny thought.

The man's trigger finger sluggishly bended to fire, this time, aiming for her head. Strangely enough, there was nothing she could do; she was paralyzed as well.

Like a slow-motion video tape, the woman jerked up with a scream and pushed the man violently. There was a fire, and the bullet whizzed past her ear…another came and hit her shoulder.

She closed her eyes as a scream refused to leave her throat, unconscious tears flowing…

Strange thoughts consumed her as she toppled back, the door swinging voluntarily under her weight. _Papa, Mama…is this it…? Grandpa…Kyou-san…brothers…Shinohara-sensei…I'm sorry…_

A familiar face with flaming red hair smiled into her mind's eye. _Shin Sawada…I think I love you…_

Kumiko Yamaguchi fell.

**ooOOoo00ooOOoo **

The bang bade his blood cold and the two which followed seemed to punch through his spirit as well. The people pointing and screaming below only helped to dull his senses. He knew she was hit and Shin saw the fall before it happened. It was one of the most agonizingly slow moments of his life; his mind swirled with how to help her, how to save her…

He was sure she was still alive but, if she fell…

His mind went stuck…

The door jerked open, she bent back, unconscious in a free fall…

But his brain was still stuck…on the Swan Lake as though revisiting the memory…

…_lake looks pretty deep…_

_Don't worry, they'll live…_

…_lifeguards…_

His eyes widened. _The Swan Lake…the Swan Lake…_

It was right there…just below the ferris wheel…

The redhead pinched his mouth in a thin line and decided.

It was really one of the most agonizingly slow moments of his life, and a stray thought was glad that it was; if it weren't he would have forgotten about the physical principles behind projectiles…

Kumiko Yamaguchi fell.

And, leaving the threads of sanity, Shin Sawada opened his own door and pushed his feet off safety.

_Gods, _he thought as the force of his jump pushed them horizontally, his arms wrapped around her small body, even managing to tuck her head below his chin. _I love you, Kumiko Yamaguchi._

Between the screaming people below and death…nothing else mattered.

* * *

(gulping, shifty-eyed) I'm scared. Would it be safe if I hide? Or just wear protective armor? 

I'm not exactly sure you people'd like this development but I really planned this to happen from the start. I hope you don't hate me, coz I think I would hate me for making an evil cliffie.

So, do you? What do you think? Am I a…

Low-life?

Bumbling shithead?

Or just plainly an ass?

Please review! Thanks!


	13. The Sensation of Falling

It's been...a month I think since my last update. Lo siento mucho! See, I was planning to finish this earlier but we had exams, and I then even the first week and second week of our sembreak was a bit busy. I'm here on our third week and only now have I done with it.

I passed all my subjects, thankfully, but not to my satisfaction. It's my fault after all. I'm such a lax. Still, I honestly feel kinda stupid and bummy nowadays. Oh no, this is turning to a blog! Ok, just on to the chapter in case I kill you with my emos!

I thank you all for the reviews! They gave me so much inspiration. I'll try to update sooner! If I don't update in 2 week's time, I give you permission to permission to kill me. Or not. Oh, please don't! I do want to carry on the hope for the next generations!

Oh, yeah. Disclaimers. They apply as always. If they didn't--nah, I can't parr with the great Morimoto.

* * *

**XII. The Sensation of Falling**

The mobile phone was strangely cold and distant in Ooshima Kyoutaro's large hand. The moment the Boss called him, an atmosphere of danger cloaked him. And it was this same feeling which brought him sprinting towards the last sighting of their ojou. For the moment, he could hardly care for the two boys which he had dumped at the perimeter of the carnival after the intended "lecturing".

All the years he had spent serving under the Kuroda household taught him many things, and one of those was that the Boss' intuition and judgment was very sharp; if possible, age and the experience it lent, gave additional edge. And so, he had every reason to be apprehensive. Though, he wondered grimly, he never mentioned what kinda danger. Or where he got the lead.

As he was pondering these things, he heard a distant commotion and he looked up, just in time to see that the gigantic ferris wheel was right before him. Without knowing, he already knew that the two were up there, and that something was happening. People were crowding below, looking and pointing upwards and he followed their gaze, fear dampening even his cool and battle-hardened spirit.

There was a gun shot, and for one agonizing second, Kyou felt as though it was his body which was hit. All of his battle instincts told him that the bullet found its mark and he just _knew _who _that mark_ was.

_Ojou—!_

Another bang. His trained ears told him it hit its mark, but only shallowly.

His eyes widened. There. There was their young ojou, arching backwards. The sight was almost romantic, her body being illumined by the dim moonlight—but even from the distance, one could clearly see blood spurting. Her blood. For the first time in a very long time, the Young Chief, Kyoutaro, felt equally weak and helpless.

_NO! I can't let Ojou die like this! _With that, he ran as he had never run before, pushing people out of the way, his gaze directly at the staggering body. But he knew he would never be able to catch her on time…

She fell, slender feet flying off the cold metal floor as though favoring thin air. It was all happening too fast and yet oh, so agonizingly slowly, too. So slow, and yet there was nothing to do. In that split second, Kyou almost shattered all hopes when, from the carriage below the one Kumiko fell from, some one leapt. A red-headed some one…

ooooOoOoooo

Falling.

They were falling. It was the last thing Kumiko thought of just before blacking out. And for some insane reason, there was no fear—she felt secure, even, as though her whole processes believed faithfully in her amounts of luck. And for some _other_ insane reason, she couldn't understand why "they" were falling. Wasn't she the only one stupid enough to be hit by those bullets?

Kumiko drifted ultimately to blackness and, for the first time in her life since the death of her parents, resigned herself to fate.

ooooOoOoooo

_Blearily, Kumiko opened her eyes. It was morning. The bed was soft and downy and…familiar? Of course, it was her bed, after all. Still, what was that other smell?_

_**"Hello, little one."** She knew exactly who that voice belonged to. And it has been too long since last hearing it._

_**"Mom?"** she croaked. And, as though she summoned her, Yuriko Yamaguchi, appeared by her bedside. Wide-eyed and wordless, Kumiko raised her shuddering hands and clasped the traditional kimono her mother wore and buried her face in it. It was just as she remembered—the smell, the feeling, the—_

_**"Crying so early—you'll get wrinkly, young lady,"** came a genial voice from behind her mom, and without looking, she knew it was her father._

_**"Dad,"** she murmured, looking up at the round, jovial face which she used to pinch as a child. **"I—I dreamt that—I was a teacher—and I had students. And….and…"** she gulped. **"Circus….ferris wheel—that was the last part! But you were already both dead there—"**_

_Their faces became sad and they pulled away gently. **"We are…dead, Kumiko."**_

_The white curtains seemed to writhe and pull apart, before swallowing the two beloved figures. "**MOM! DAD!"** She blinked and…_

_Kumiko seemed to fall inside a car. The road, from the way the car jumped up and down, was obviously bumpy._

_The sky was dark, and the bullets of water fell from the sky—_

_Bullets…_

_That's right, she thought, I was hit. Kumiko touched her abdomen and felt wetness—but there was no pain. Her, shoulder had a light graze, too._

_Where am I?_

_She blinked again, and saw her parents up at front. Of course. Who else would be driving? All that was a dream. A dream where I was older…where they died, and I was made to stay with my only remaining family…Grandpa…Kyou-san…and my brothers…then Shinohara—and I became a teacher…I had students…and a certain red-head…_

_**"Where am I?"** she cried, moving her body vainly; it was as though her body was held in paralysis. **"What—"**_

_"**We're dead, Kumiko."** It was her parents' voice, but when they turned towards her, there were only empty skulls. **"It's time to die, deary—you should've a long time ago."**_

_Her dry mouth gaped into a silent scream._

_The car skidded and fell into a cliff._

ooooOoOoooo

_Fell. Yes, the car fell. I fell just like that time. _Came a distant thought.

The scene was different as she opened her eyes. The cemetery was nearly empty. Only a few guests, and her, was standing over newly dug graves. She couldn't cry. Why couldn't she? Why isn't she?

_I want to—but they wouldn't want to see me lonely, I know it. When they were alive—_

_But they aren't. Not anymore. You were together—they died; you lived._

_I didn't want it to happen. _

_It still happened._

_I have to be strong. I want to be—_

_It's too late._

_Never! Never too late._

It was cold, unbearably so. The cemetery was gone now. It was just blank emptiness. She curled into a tight ball as though it would be enough to shield her from that wretchedly dark emptiness.

_I don't want to die. _

_It hurts, it hurts!_

_Loneliness. _

_Unbearable—I can't take this._

_Pain…so red. Like blood._

_Like the sunset. Like…_

_Hair…_

_Hair?_

"Kumiko!" Warm arms enveloped her—this was an illusion too, but of all that she had seen, it was what she wanted most to become reality. "Don't die on me."

"Shin!"

ooooOoOoooo

Am I dead?

She tried to move her body, but her limbs refused to obey her. What's happening to me?

Am I paralyzed? Vainly, she tried to open her eyes, but blinding light forced her to turn away and close her eyes again.

"Sh-Shin," she managed to choke out. "Wh-ere…?"

There was a rush and commotion. "She's awake!"

"Ojou's back!"

"Call the Boss!"

Random sounds of whacking almost made her smile. "Shut up, fools! You're noisy!"

"Sorry, Young Chief, but we—Doc! She's awake!"

"Yes, I heard—" Someone touched her arm to feel her pulse. A gentle hand tried to check her lids open, but the light was still too much…

"AH!" Pain suddenly shot through her left ribs making breathing close to impossible. Her shoulder was throbbing as well.

A sigh. "As I suspected. It's too early for her to wake. Nurse!"

A gentle touch and a needle sting injected some fluid into her. _Morphine? _Kumiko thought dizzily. _What were they saying? Too early, what's that? _With that she lolled back to darkness...

ooooOoOoooo

_Then again, maybe not._

_The rooftop has never been as beautiful as this. The sun was setting against the crimson horizon—the clouds seemed to be drawn towards that center, spiraling peculiarly along the way. The place seemed to open to the universe in its immensity; an idyllic and wondrous plateau which seemed to set her free. It was impossible, she knew, but anything can happen in dreams._

_This is a dream, right? She wondered. Just like the others. Her feet seemed to float against the cement, until she was close enough to lean on the railings. A knowing second thought told her that she would remember none of this when she awakes. Nevertheless, Kumiko couldn't help but take the spectacular and strange sight around her. So beautiful…_

_**"You're beautiful."**_

_Kumiko smiled, full knowing the owner of the voice. There was only one person who enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the rooftop with her. Turning around happily, she opened her mouth to stop in surprise; her conjecture had been wrong._

_Dark hair, still neat in spite of the baby hurricanes in the atmosphere, greeted her instead of the expected disheveled red. A violet business suit flapped gently with the swift winds. Shinohara brushed it smoothly down, eyes concentrated on her. As though studying her face, he smiled. **"Expecting some one else?"**_

_**"Yes,"** she murmured. In normal situations, the young teacher would have stuttered in confusion. But this was her world, her subconscious self—there was no room for that bumbling aspect of hers here. Yet there was some hint of hesitation as she added softly, **"You're here, Shinohara-sensei…but this is my dream."**_

_**"Yes,"** said the lawyer stepping closer to her. **"But I am here, too. I've been here long enough. You always thought of me once, so here I am. Still here."**_

_**"Ah,"** said Kumiko, understanding and not fully understanding at the same time._

_With a deliberate step, he made a grab for her hands and kissed them gently. **"Always here if you wished."** She blushed yet didn't move away._

_"You're—my subconscious representation of Shinohara," she thought aloud, her mind absently flying back to the psychology books she once read in college. **"I figment of my memory. Have I truly seen you as this?"**_

_**"Perhaps,"** whispered Shinohara with that secret smile. **"You never saw the right picture correctly."**_

_**"What do you mean?"** He tugged her hand gently, and only then did she realize that he had already pulled her into a waltz._

**_"You know. _You**_** saw me yet **you** didn't."**_

_Orange, red, yellow and violet seemed to swirl before her as they floated round the rooftop. It was an eternity and yet it wasn't. It was blissful, wonderful, and yet unbearably lonely at the same time. She now knew what this dream was for. A dream was, after all, the road to the subconscious. Here all the yearnings, needs, fears would be borne naked. And here was one aspect presenting itself and now she understood its purpose: a parting was in order. **"My conscious self didn't understand your love—but I did."**_

_The waltz stopped; his hands still held her fingers but not as tightly._

_**"Did?"** he said with no trace of bitterness. **"It is too late, then?"**_

_Kumiko smiled. "**The internal struggle has ended and you lost. And I must let you go now."**_

_**"Ah."**_

_**"You've been freed."** Kumiko pulled her fingers free and gestured to the swirling clouds of orange, red and white._

_**"As you wish, for this is your world."** He bowed, and with that last smile which lost its precious secret, was released unto the heavens. His last words seemed to echo from afar before disappearing finally. **"It ceased to be mine long ago when it became a rooftop…"**_

_Kumiko threw her arms out to the heavens; dream or not, she felt an inexplicable feeling of recklessness which freedom brought her. And yet there was sadness, too. I will always love Shinohara-sensei, yet not here in this plateau. Not even after knowing the secret of that smile._

_In this rooftop, my heart belongs only to one—_

_And the ground dropped. She was falling again…_

_…yet she felt secure. As though falling was the most simplistic thing. Or rather, as though she knew that there would be someone to catch her unfailingly…_

_The intelligent and rebellious student who dyed his hair to defy his father._

_The young kid who entered her class and proved herself to be finally a man._

_The friend and companion who listened to her rambles and put up with her moodiness._

_That person, saved her, helped her more than once already. He was an enormous part of her now._

Shin Sawada_…the one to be yet her lover. Or is he already? The answer seemed clear in her head and yet…yet…_

_There was only one way of truly finding out…_

_Yes, Kumiko was falling. But that didn't mean she couldn't embrace the light…_

ooooOoOoooo

The air which entered her nostrils was so cold that it made her sit up in a gag. Kuroda's ojou anxiously raised her hands to her head, to her neck, down to her chest as though clawing desperately with the air itself. In her anxiety, she didn't notice the commotion of familiar voices and noises in the background. A heavy but reassuring hand pressed on her shoulder, another to her back, and her Uncle Kousuke's husky, soothing voice came above her cheek. "Don't rush it, ojou. The air wont bite ya. Breathe deeply, slowly…that's my girl."

"Ojou, you're still not well, please lie back!"

"Please, ojou!"

"Ojou!"

Kumiko rested her heavy head back onto the soft pillows. Finally, she breathed deeply and forcefully opened her rebellious eyelids. Everything was in a bright blur, but then again, she must have been asleep for some time. A wave of dizziness overwhelmed her, causing her vision to darken but she shook her head and blinked it away. Her vision was clearer now. Of course, not clear enough without her glasses but she'll live.

"Uncle Kousuke, Tetsu, Minoru, Wakamatsu…you're all here. Grandpa…?"

"I'm here, Kumiko," The Kuroda's sendaime entered in a sweeping fashion. A worried expression betrayed his usually sharp face. Then and there, the disastrous evening of the circus returned to her, and in a moment of weakness, confused and guilty tears almost sprung from her eyes.

"Grandpa…" Kumiko reached out in spite of the dull aching in her ribs and shoulder, took the elder's hand and kissed it. "I'm sorry for all this. I—"

"Hush," he commanded and took her granddaughter into his brown robes. This time, Kumiko was unable to stifle her sobs and cried into her grandfather's arms. It was both a very emotional and comical scene; while grandfather and granddaughter held on to each other, the live-ins, Wakamatsu and even Kousuke were also touched by emotion and decided to bawl their eyes out as well. It didn't help that Kyou who entered and summed the whole scene up, decided to join the foolery albeit with louder sniffles.

So it was not a wonder that, Shinohara, entering with a bouquet of flowers, paused, blinked, and debated whether or not to slink away lest he catch the infection. Unfortunately or fortunately, it was hard to decide, the moment between the Boss and the young ojou passed and Kumiko noticed him before he could retreat. "Shinohara-sensei."

"Kumiko," he said with a small smile. "You're well rested, I hope?"

"I don't know…how long was I gone?" she inquired.

"A week and a half," answered Kousuke. "You woke up for a while five days ago but they had to sedate you again."

"Ah…" she clutched her head for a moment, waiting for more information to register back into her head. "I remember falling. How—how did I live?"

The room, so jolly at her awakening, fell eerily silent. "Eh?" said Kyou slowly. "You—don't remember?"

"I—well—it was just—" she screwed her eyes in concentration. "I fell, didn't I? And then, my body—felt so warm. I kind of thought I was—was dead then. Why am I alive?"

No one answered. Or rather, no one wanted to answer. For some reason, she felt afraid, as though there was something sinister waiting to pounce. Like a nightmare…

"Oi! Tell me!" she cried hoarsely; her throat was still not used to speaking after so long. "What happened? Why aren't you telling me?" When they still refused to answer, she frantically grabbed her grandfather's robe, hands shaking. "Grandpa, please, please tell me. Anyone…please…"

"You fell, ojou," came Kousuke's voice, almost husky in its solemnity. "It was a height, yah know, but there was a nearby swan lake there, remember. You fell there."

The scene flashed back to her mind and she shook her head in confusion. "But it was too far for me to just fall on unless someone…someone…" The dreaded words suddenly went stuck in her throat as realization dawned sickeningly.

_Unless someone pushed her strongly enough in that direction._

"Aye," said Kyou gently answering her thoughts. "The Young Master Red Lion jumped off the ridge of his car hard and sent you both falling towards the lake."

"Oh." _But what does that mean exactly? _

Kyou decided to let the stone drop once and for all. "The Young Master had a bad fall."

The words were worse than a sucker-punch. Falling on water could save once life for sure, but falling in a wrong angle on a water surface could be as potentially dangerous as falling on hard cement. It was all physics—and the cold and calculated knowledge left her numb. "And…"

"He was brought in the hospital with you but—he's in a deep coma. It was a really bad fall."

The words rang through the room and seemed to ring into her head like madness.

"Where is Shin?" Her voice sounded oddly distant to her own ears. Hollow.

"Ojou! You still need rest," said Wakamatsu worriedly. The two live-ins looked at their ojou in sympathy.

"Kumiko…" began Kuroda.

"I need to go to him. To see him. Please." Her voice broke at the last word but she gathered her composure and steeled her jaws in determination.

"Let me accompany her then." Everyone started at hearing Shinohara's voice. Clearly, they forgot he was still there.

"What—so you can leave her again?" hissed Kyou advancing towards Shinohara threateningly.

"Enough, Kyoutaro."

"Yes, Boss," said the Young Chief backing away, with eyes still intent on the other.

"Assist her to his room, Shinohara." And, with a final pat on Kumiko's shoulder, Kuroda gestured to the others and left the room with them, leaving only the lawyer and the invalid teacher. Walking towards the endtable beside the bed, he arranged the bouquet onto the empty vase. Kumiko bit her lower lip worriedly, tired and worn from the recently acquired information.

"Shall we go then?" came Shinohara's voice when he had finished.

"Is it okay?" she blurted out, bowing her head in shame. "It's my fault. I'm awake. He's not. What if he dies, Shinohara-sensei? What if—what if—"

The left side of her bed dipped as Shinohara sat on it. His fingers tipped her chin lightly. "Everything will be all right. It's not your fault." With that, he placed her head onto the crook of his shoulders. Kumiko felt slightly better now, save for the awful hollowness in her chest which was far worse than any of her other hurts.

"Thank you, Shinohara-sensei," she sniffed.

He smiled his slow and secret smile yet, for some reason she couldn't remember, it no longer seemed so secret. It has ceased to affect her, too. Immediately, she understood; there was only one person who could affect her twice as much now…

"Shin…Bring me to him, please?" she could no longer hide the pleading in her voice now.

The lawyer's eyes flashed for a moment before whispering. "I will, Kumiko."

* * *

I changed the title, by the way, from Dreaming through Light to The Sensation of Falling. It just felt more appropriate, neh? I hope you all understood what her dreams meant...sorry. I'm a bit fond of psychology--particularly the study of the subconscious via dreaming. Hope you're not too confused. Oh, did I leave a cliffie? I'm not even sure it is. Hehe. It's not actually meant to be a cliffie. There ain't too much ShinKumi in this chap but there will in the next chaps, not to worry. Anyways... 

I neglected to proofread this chapter, but I'm just so sleep right now. I know...bad trait of mine...sorry. But I'll edit it if there are wrongs. If anyone notices grammar and spelling errors, tell me please? Tell me what you think?

How was it?

_Bummy?_

_Stupid?_

_Shitty?_

_Just DIE!_

Please Review!


	14. How to Wake a Sleeping Man

I_ know I said I'd update in 3 weeks…not almost 3 months! Sorry, sorry, sorry….blame it one the thesis! It's just been so hectic. I didn't mean to make people hang._

_Here we are again! I wont say much but I do hope you like it. I'll edit it as soon as I get the time!_

* * *

**Chapter 14: How to Wake a Sleeping Man**

"Are you alright, Kumiko-chan?"

Kumiko Yamaguchi turned her head halfway to her dark-haired companion and tried to smile reassuringly. "Don't worry 'bout me. Just a bit dizzy, that's all." Indeed, the abnormally white and bright hallway typical of a hospital environment made her eyes water; her legs and arms felt wobbly as well. The muscle weakness was really natural, she reasoned through gritted teeth. After all, she was asleep for more than a week…

"Here we are." They stopped before a door by the end of the corridor. Neither of them made a move for the knob.

"Ah," she murmured in assent. Only a door separated them now. Wasn't she the reason there had to be a "door" between them? Didn't she place him there, unintentionally or not, with her rash decisions? The ojou bit her lower lip unconsciously. Has she any right to go be there?

"Come on, Kumiko-chan," came Shinohara's soft voice. "I'm sure he's waiting for you."

"You sound so sure," she answered back bitterly. "And why are you so cheery?"

He smiled down at her and, for some reason, it made her sad. "The operation was immediate and yet you wouldn't wake up. You're awake now. That's all….that's all that matters."

"Shinohara-sensei…" Her eyes stung but she refused to give in. With a small sniff, she said, "I'm sorry for being such a trouble—" The lawyer silenced her with a kiss. She closed her eyes knowing she could never return the same passion. The moment his lips left hers her eyes were open again. Kumiko tried to smile. "Let's—let's just go on together, neh, Shinohara-sensei?"

He nodded and they opened the door.

* * *

"Am I dead?"

Shin's voice was lost in that vast emptiness. His wide-open eyes felt hurt and heavy. His whole being seemed to be floating. And yet there was nothing there—he was surrounded by nothingness.

"Am I dead?" He shouted but the sound only faded as soon as it left his lips. _Where am I? _he wondered. _This looks like nothing like Hell… not close to what I imagined Heaven would be like, either. Limbo? _

He shook his head. His mind seemed to be assaulted by other thoughts. He tried to stopper them but they trickled through his head nonetheless…

"You disgust me." It was his father's words. He arrived one day to see Shin's head a different color. At first, there was only dumb shock but it was soon replaced by the purest of vehemence. Then that sentence. Shin thought that nothing his father did anymore could hurt him further. He was wrong. Because those words stung far worse than any slap or punch he received in his entire life. Why did he even care? All Mr. Sawada cared for, after all, was his job. He hardly gave a damn about his family. He only cared when their name was on danger of being smeared. He hated him so much.

His brother—the great perfect one—he never thought he would miss the bastard but he did. Shin was not even conscious that he held any attachment to him. Brother or not, he was too self-righteous. When he left him alone to shoulder all the responsibilities and pressures which he could never truly handle, he forced himself to believe that he hated him. But now, in this strangely quiet world, it was hard to think of it like that…

While Shin was no religious, parts of him still believed in the notion of God and the life-after. His father never taught him such things—it was his mother who patiently taught him all. She was beautiful and kind, but always so silent. He saw her as a martyr. And he hated that, too. He couldn't bear seeing her quiet resignation. She never complained about her husband's hardness. She always found excuses for her his always staying out for days and days. He remembered shouting at her. "Why won't you do anything about this? Even brother did something—he left. You, why can't you?"

With her sad, sad eyes, she only sighed and looked out of the window, all misted with snow. "Love…"

That night, he too, left. He thought he would never understand what she meant, until Kumiko came and changed all that.

That's right…but where was she?

"Yamaguchi, where are you?" he asked out loud. But that too was eaten by the silence.

He didn't know if he was dead of alive, but he could not bear it if she died, too.

"Am I dead?" he whispered to no one. Forcing some energy into his legs, he ran. Or rather, considering his floating state, he flew. No matter the method, Shin found himself struggling out of the darkness, like a butterfly pulling out of a nasty dark cocoon, and simply "popped" out.

His "body" pin wheeled in the air for a few seconds, his knees pulled loosely against his chest. Finally, he stretched and opened his eyes into a bewildering sight.

The place was distinctly a private hospital room. After some squinting and refocusing, the location settled more clearly before him. On the bed lay a pale lad, IVs attached to his arms, and a pair of rigid tubes pushed up his nostrils. Even for the brilliant Sawada Shin, it took some moments of scrutiny before he could finally accept that the person lying in that flimsy bed was truly himself. Looking up at the medical monitor at the side of the bed, he instinctively understood that he was comatose, and quickly deduced that he must be undergoing some sort of out-of-body experience. However preposterous the idea, he wasn't all too prepared that this entire clear movie was a dream either—it most certainly do not feel like one.

Beside the bed are two people, one male and one female. One look and he knew exactly who they were. _Only Shinohara would stomach wearing such a stupid violet business suit, _he thought in vehemence. It didn't lessen his agony seeing that the lawyer was assisting a stiff and weary looking Yamaguchi. She seemed to have lost weight, and some stitches and bruises were peeping out of her hospital gown.

He glided down, and tried to reach her with his translucent hands but they only went past through her. An impatient sigh passed through his lips and he decided to listen to the conversation out of curiosity.

"Sit here, Kumiko-chan," said Shinohara as he pulled a chair beside the bed. The teacher, obviously tired and strained, gratefully took the proffered seat. She returned her glazed eyes at the comatose redhead as the lawyer remained standing behind her.

"I should've died then," murmured Yamaguchi almost inaudibly. "I should've. I was too caught up with playing hero—and now he's lying here. He saved me. I don't deserve this. It's not supposed to be him lying there—it's supposed to be me."

Shin's eyes widened. He has never heard her speak like this—so distraught and self-pitying. Yankumi never allowed anything to keep her down. She always bounced back. Seeing her so downcast and depressed as though incapable of ever becoming cheerful again hurt him. Then again, he knew it was her guilt talking. _If I was in her situation and she almost died saving me, I would probably act the same, _he reflected. But it really didn't suit her; this repentant and self-castigating attitude.

Apparently, Shinohara seemed to share the same thoughts. Kneeling beside her and forcing her to look down at him, he said almost sternly. "Kumiko, this is not like you. You should never regret living. If Kyou, your grandfather, and the others hear you talking like this, they will feel hurt."

A tear slipped down her cheek followed by more as she spoke in a controlled tone. "But it's true. It's my fault. If I waited, if only I thought of the consequences, if I just used my damn head and—and—thought things through, this wouldn't have happened. I'm—I'm supposed to be the older one, the one with more sense but in the end, I acted just like some bratty, impulsive…kid."

Shinohara raised a hand as though to touch her face but stopped midway. Placing his hand on her shoulder instead, he said, "I will not deny the recklessness of your actions that night but you acted according to your beliefs. If you didn't jump out there, the girl would have been raped by that drunkard."

Kumiko held on stubbornly. "Why didn't I think of some other solution? What if I hadn't climbed up? What if my presence there worsened the already gravid situation? What _if_—?

"It is useless to think of the past," interrupted Shinohara with a firm shake of head. "What's done is done. Reflecting on 'what ifs' will only frustrate you because you cannot turn back the time. Back then, you acted according to what you thought best, and in the end, you saved that woman at the risk of your own life, while this boy risked his life for yours. No one died—yet." Kumiko flinched at the last word and the lawyer sighed. "You must be strong…for his sake."

"What can I do?" She frustratedly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand but the tears only seemed to gush more willingly. "What can I do? He's been in a coma for three weeks—what if he no longer wakes up? What if…"

Shin felt embarrassed seeing her so helpless—he wanted to jump back to his body, wake up and scold her for crying. If only he knew how…As he was, he could only flit here and there to distract himself. He was in that process when Shinohara's ringing voice halted him.

"Then call him."

"What?"

Shinohara took her hands and gazed at her until her teary eyes were focused on him. "Call him," he said simply. "Wake him up."

"What? How?" The words sounded bewildering in her confused state but somehow, it shed some light into her hopelessness.

"Talk to him. Tell him to wake up. To come back. Only you can do it, Kumiko-chan." The man was wiping her tears and snot with a handkerchief as he said it. The woman was too surprised that her tears came to a slow halt.

"How do you know he'd wake up?" She wondered aloud.

He lowered his lashes thoughtfully, mouth twisted into a sad smile. "I know."

And with that, he excused himself and quickly left the room.

Kumiko Yamaguchi was now alone with the sleeping Shin. Shin could easily feel the tension vibrate from her body as she slowly wetted her lips, mind racing. _Now I wait, _he thought to himself. _How do you wake a sleeping man, Yamaguchi? _And with that, he folded his legs in midair and waited.

* * *

The door snapped shut and a voice greeted Shinohara as he leaned back with a sigh. "You left her. Again."

"Yes, I have," he murmured without turning sideways at the scar-faced man. "Can you spare me a cigarette?"

He shrugged almost nonchalantly. "Snatched a couple o' cigars. Don't ask how."

"Doesn't matter. May I?"

They mutually agreed that a hospital's corridor was not really an ideal place to smoke cigars. In a few minutes, twin smokes glided lazily and pooled into the low ceiling of a fire exit. Both were silent, too caught up with their thoughts to say something. Finally, Kyou sneaked an eye at the dark-haired man.

"Did you ever love her?"

"Hm?"

"I said, did you ever love her?" repeated Kyou.

Shinohara chuckled. "Do I need to answer that?"

"You made her wait for five years. You can't expect her to wait forever."

"I didn't."

"Then," said Kyou, becoming quite angry. "Why didn't you do anything about it?"

He was silent for a while. That immaculate suit seemed to glow, even in the dimness of the constricting staircase. Softly, he murmured. "I'm the family lawyer. And where I stand, I'm not supposed to let personal matters intrude. We have no future together. But that, too, is just an excuse.

"I guess," he continued. "I thought I wanted her happy. And just when I was finally gathering the courage, settling the accounts, she was stolen right before my eyes...ironically, by a student some 10 years my junior. I didn't know I'd lose so badly."

"And," said Kyou slowly puffing his cigarette, watching the smoke coil uselessly. "You tried to get her back. Then you let her go all the same."

Silence greeted this statement. But they both knew.

"What made you do it?" he asked again.

"Do what?"

"Give her up?" pursued Kyou, unperturbed.

Shinohara liberally sucked his cigar and blew the smoke lazily. His eyes seemed to be glazed in thought. "I don't know."

Kyou raised a brow and took a seat at the lowest stair. "I don't believe you."

Shinohara chuckled morosely. "Neither do I."

* * *

_How do I wake a sleeping man? _She wrinkled her forehead and breathed deeply. Her eyes searched his face; it looked so peaceful—he seemed to be just dozing off on the rooftop.

Kumiko Yamaguchi gingerly took his limp hand. It was a bit cool from the air-conditioning, but instantly warmed against her hand. Without thinking, she twined her fingers with his, marveling at its smoothness in comparison to her rougher, more calloused. A ghost of a smile lingered her face as she imagined teasing him about that.

…if he wakes up.

She swayed up from her seat, shuddering at the thought. Shin Sawada will not die—at least not until he hears her say. But how do you communicate with someone trapped between life and death?

_I'll try to speak to him_

"Hey," her voice came out in a shaky whisper. She bit the insides of her cheek and tried again, albeit with forced cheer. "I know…this is kinda weird. Here I am, talking to a sleeping—no, comatose—guy. Kind of reminds me of those movies I've seen. I've always thought it was stupid, you know. I mean, how can you talk to someone who can't even answer you, let alone hear you? It's like talking to a wall! But here I am, doing exactly that. Only…somehow, I can feel that you're really there, listening. You can hear me right? I'm not making a fool of myself, am I?"

Yamuguchi paused to catch her breath and when she continued, a wistful tone overcame her. "This situation…kind of reminds me of that time when I saved you from your dad. When I think of it now, it's kinda silly, too. The princess climbing up the balcony to save the prince," she almost smiled here but it disappeared just as quickly. "I'm…always used to be the one to save people, to take care of people. Yeah, I have my family to back me up but most of the time, it was unnecessary worrying, and even they know it coz I always take care of myself. That's really the reason why I learned to do all the fighting—so that I'd be able to take care of myself, and by doing that lessen everyone's worries. Then I'd be able to protect people with my own hands. I didn't realize I could be pushing you away with my stubbornness."

When she resumed, her voice was almost a whisper. "Shin…you saved me so many times that often, I don't even understand why you bother at all. And when you try protecting or worrying over me, I keep pushing you away, saying hurtful bullshit that don't really matter. I guess it's pride—I couldn't accept then that, young as you are, you still seem to be my equal in many aspects. I didn't want you to treat me as some shitty damsel either. I realized later that I wanted to be seen as just who I am…as Kumiko Yamaguchi. Only my family ever did, but after a while, it makes one wonder. The people I knew, as a student and even as I grew old, avoided me. They were always intimidated." A smile passed her lips. "But you weren't. You knew everything and yet you didn't treat me differently. You treat me as I am. You could never be an outsider to me. There aren't a hundred years between us; we're just six years apart after all—often, it even feels shorter."

Shin wanted to touch her so badly but he couldn't; he watched as she braced herself against the side of the bed. Her hand arranged the stray bangs on his head. "It's a bit ironic…was so busy calling you a kid I didn't realize the changes in the short time we've been together. I didn't realize that I—I—"

She found herself leaning close to his face. Being nearsighted, she could easily study his face this near and what she saw brought a pang in her heart. His face and even his fiery head seemed pale and weak. The tubes stuck up his nose made him look especially vulnerable. A sting of guilt promptly took all the fuel out of her as the thought returned to her: _You're really here because of me. _

Her cheeks hurt as tears squeezed out of her eyes, falling and sliding like rain on his marble-white cheeks. "Shin..." she whispered, shaking lips just barely on top of his. "Don't sleep too long, _baka!_ And you call yourself the 'Red Lion'! _Come back..._" Unable to resist any longer, she placed her lips above his in a chaste kiss, tubes and all. Then, she lifted the rest of her body into the bed and wrapped an arm across his chest. Kumiko rested her tired and bewildered head against the base of his neck and fell instantly into sleep.

* * *

The last image of Kumiko climbing in the bed remained with Shin as he was unwillingly sucked back into darkness. He had to get back there. Rather, he had to return to his body, wake up, and scold Yamaguchi—first of all, he wasn't the one who branded himself as the Red Lion.

…_though I saved you a couple of times, it's nothing compared to your life-changing eruption in my life. _

He fell back into darkness but he immediately stood up, ignoring the strangeness of the emptiness and ran—

…_you took me on a whirl, you baka. You tore my world apart and gave me a new one. _

In the distance, a tiny door started to appear. He will reach it. He has to.

…_I don't know how you did it but—you brought fire to my world. _

His hand touched the doorknob. This was it. _I won't be sleeping long, Yamaguchi._

…_I'd give myself a thousand times more if you asked me to._

The door swung open and he was swallowed by an explosion of light. As warmth and relief flooded through him, he marveled yet again over that dark-haired woman, her smile cheeky, her eyes glowing with mischief.

_God, I love her! Yamaguchi—you'll be the death of me.

* * *

_

Kyou cracked his neck left and right. Shinohara had left just an hour ago. There was nothing much to talk about and the lawyer's silence was not enlightening. But, as different as they were, he found himself respecting the man even more. The conversation made him see Shinohara in a different light. Though he still had not forgiven him for ditching their ojou, he felt almost sympathetic.

"Heh," he muttered to himself as he threw his finished cigarette over a bin. "Who knew that stiff-assed lawyer would be such a martyr."

Finally, he stopped in front of Young Master's room and sighed. The ojou would be inside, probably coaxing her student/friend/lover awake. The mere idea seemed just like one of those mushy movies that he used to watch with her (and the rest of the Kuroda clan). But this one was real: Sawada Shin drifts between life and death_. And ojou…_Kyou shook his head. He could remember as clear as yesterday, the day the seven-year old Kumiko was dropped at their doorstep. Such a brave expression on the face of a child—it was a heartbreaking moment of Kyou. Imagined images flashed before his eyes, bringing a stinging sadness into the very sentimental feelings of the Young Chief. He sniffed and rubbed his nose.

Steeling himself for any possible scenes, he knocked twice and turned the knob.

The ojou lay on the bed, legs folded under her as her tired head was snuggled deeply into the pillows. And beside her…

A ringing laughter echoed through the hallways that night.

* * *

The dream started nicely enough. They were back at the park, leisurely spending their time together. His hand was very tight and snug against hers; everything was just so right. Kumiko found herself drifting off away in her own thoughts thinking, _I don't want this to ever change._

At that, the moment did change. Blinking, she realized how strong the wind had become, the change in altitude. Her right side was bleeding when she touched it but there was no pain. A faceless man seemed to smile as two more bullets screamed out of the barrel. One of these dug into her shoulder, throwing her back…back…

She fell. She closed her eyes. Opened them again.

She knew what will be happening next.

_Shin, don't jump, don't, don't, don't…_came the steady mantra of her mind.

But she knew it was all in vain as she felt a sudden contact, a mighty push sending her farther forward into the pool. He would suffer a bad fall. It would be a concussion. She didn't ask for any of it but it was happening all over again; and this time, she was conscious enough to see it happen.

Time was slowing down on her, as though she wanted these moments to forever mar her memory. His arms were round her, protectively enveloping her body. He tucked her head beneath his chin, burying her head into his neck. She could almost smell his scent—soap and male cologne and sweat.

It would be a long, long fall into oblivion and Kumiko didn't want to reach the inevitable end.

A cry rose from her throat…_Shin, Shin, Shin—I don't want you to die…I—I love—_

"Yankumi!"

Cut. The scene died. It was just a dream, her consciousness told her. A bad dream. But the feelings of that dream scene still felt raw and fresh; tears still ran afresh down her cheeks—

"Open your eyes, stupid head. I'm not dead yet."

At that, Kumiko Yamaguchi's eyes did fly wide open. The sudden light stung her eyes, rendering her momentarily blind. But she threw her hands out, gripping the one person she never thought she'd see awake again. First she realized that his face was now free of those oppressing tubes. Her eyes focused and refocused onto fiery red hair, onto a familiar smirk, onto dark and searching eyes.

For a moment, she could not speak. It was all too overwhelming. So overwhelming that her dream was forgotten and even her tears had stopped flowing. Clearing her throat, she croaked. "You're—you—Shin—you—"

His smirk widened into a real smile as he patted her head. "Heh. After all the trouble of me saving your life, all you can do is stutter at me."

On impulse, she whacked his hand off her head and immediately regretted it. Masking her uncertainty, she huffed angrily. "Who told you to jump off your carriage, fool? I could've proly survived it."

He raised a brow. "At that height? Heh. Did I happen to wake you from some of superhero fantasies?"

"You—you—" _God, he hasn't changed. He'd just woken up and he's already teasing me. _Her throat constricted immediately, emotion finally overtaking her. Cheeks shaking, she bit her lower lip to halt the budding hiccups, tears falling unsteadily from her eyes. "You arrogant, inconsiderate fool! How could you do that to me? I thought—I thought—"

Shin's eyes softened and he reached out to brush the steady spill of tears from her eyes. Pulling her gently towards him, he softly planted his lips on the side of her nose before murmuring. "I'm alive because of you. You woke me up. None of me has changed."

"I'm so—"

"Shh. It's okay. I'd jump from that carriage again if that meant I could stay with you forever."

Display of emotion has always been rarity for Shin Sawada. But it won't impede him. Not anymore. Not with her. Love has always been an irrational display in his view but, as he pulled her closer, as she inclined her head to meet his mouth, as her hands went up to hold on to his hair, to his face—

_God, Yamaguchi…you just feel so right…_

"Shin…" she moaned in between breaths. As he nibbled her mouth, a dozen thoughts heaped over her head. Like, how many hours was it since she fell asleep beside him? Is it okay to be kissing him like this when he's just recovered from his coma? Making out in a hospital bed isn't really the most ideal of venues, nor is it the most appropriate. _Doesn't matter, _added another sly thought. _You're both as energetic as mules anyway._ As his mouth trailed to her jaw, she found herself almost agreeing.

Her hands drifted inside his hospital gown, feeling his warm and firm chest…

His fingers, digging into her hair, loosened and trailed down her exposed back, sending shivers of pleasure into her body…

Their bodies were too close, too hot, too explosive—both their intoxicated minds were quite aware that only a pair of flimsy hospital gowns stand in their way, and that they are quite alone…

"Umm, excuse me for interrupting."

If they were standing, they would have jumped apart. As it was, they suddenly jerked from each other guiltily and stared hard at their visitor.

"I just came in for your three-hour check to see if you're both doing fine," the "back-side physician" grinned. "It was unnecessary after all."

"We—we were—" sputtered Kumiko with a fiery blush which rivaled Shin's hair.

The doctor waved a hand. "It's okay. Ahh, love is truly blossoming in the air now. But I believe you must return to your room now, Miss Yamaguchi. You can continue this session later—in a proper bed."

They both mumbled apologetic mutters, properly chastised.

"That's okay, then. Let me see…I'll tell Kyou to escort you from here in ten minutes. I think it'll all be wrapped up by then?"

"Thanks, Doc," said Shin, hiding a smile.

"All right then. No problem." And the doctor went out, humming a tune about birds and bees.

As the door promptly closed, Shin murmured slyly. "Now, where were we?"

Kumiko laughed and punched him lightly. "It's hard to believe you were in a coma just awhile ago."

"Awhile ago? I already came to eight hours ago. When I woke up, you were asleep beside me and Kyou-san came."

"Really, huh?" she could almost imagine the gleeful expression on the Young Chief's face.

"I fell asleep again after that," he said morosely and took her hand into his, pushing their fingers together, nook to nook. Though he didn't say it, Shin was happy to see that didn't take her back to her room. He was absolutely contented. Meeting her eyes, his message was conveyed immediately and she understood.

They simultaneously fell into an embrace. No movement was necessary—just the reality of closeness was enough. For now, touch and breath was the most exquisite treasure in the world. So, they held onto each other for some more minutes, just like that.

That is, until Kyou came, five minutes earlier than expected.

* * *

**I know. It's a weird chapter. I kinda rushed it up, partly because I don't want to see them aching for long, partly because it came in a burst of inspiration. The ending of this chapter is quite abrupt, though. Three more chaps to go! It might be longer, if I decide to do a sequel.**

**How was it?**

_Dung heap?_

_Smokey Mountain?_

_Troll booger?_

**Please tell me! It's just a click away!**


	15. Resolutions

_I'm sorry for this very post! I really had no time making a chapter--I was so busy, with the thesis and everything! I'm practically dying here. I wake up, work on the thesis, and go home to sleep. Yep! THat's my life right now! Not to mention I'm high on fast food--urgh! I'm sick of it!_

_THankfully, my family decided to hitch me away on a 4-day island hopping. Meaning, I won't be handling any thesis stuff right now! YEy for me! I have faith in my groupmates--and anyways, they get day-offs, why don't I get one too? So there. In a few hours, I'll be leaving for our trip! So I decided to finish this chapter once and for all!_

_THis is the second to the last chapter. The last one will be an epilogue. I'm actually thinking of making a sequel...that is, if my evil schedule permits. And of course, if you welcome it, I might also be fueled to do one. (Sigh) Hope you like this installation! As usual, if there are any editing probs, etc, kindly point em out so I could edit them upon return (sorry, too groggy to edit...it's 1:30 AM...we leave at 3:00 AM. I haven't slept a wink yet).Again, I'm sorry for my lateness...I do hope you guys understand._

_Good day and have fun reading!_

* * *

**Ch.15: Resolutions**

_Discretion is the key, _thought Kumiko determinedly as she tiptoed out of her room. It was still too early for anyone to wake. If her family knew her plans of going back to school, they might actually forcefully carry her back to her room, ojou or no. She bit her lip, feeling annoyed. Since coming home from the hospital, she was made to stay at home. They served on her as though she were a piece of china. Well, it was a bit pleasing in the first and second days but—

She shook her head in annoyance. Not that she could do anything about it. Before leaving the hospital, the doctor was quite emphatic about Shin and her getting sufficient rest—6 weeks without any vigorous activities and a return visit by the very end. She fulfilled only two weeks of the bargain—but that won't stop her from going. After all, she was a teacher, and she's been on leave for a month already.

_Hehe. It'll be nice to see if my students have forgotten me n' my lessons already. If they have well, _she decided with a feral grin and an ominous cracking of knuckles. _I'll just have to make 'em remember._

Passing out of the gate stealthily, she wished herself luck and ran down the streets.

* * *

"Boss!" Ryuichirou Kuroda looked up from his morning tea at the harried voice of his Young Chief. There was an alarmed expression on his face; immediately the boss knew what it was all about.

"Kumiko's gone?" he said amiably, resuming his tea drinking.

"Yes, boss. It's just like you was thinkin'."

"Hmm. You called him?"

Ooshima Kyoutaro grinned. "Yes, boss."

"That's taken care of then."

* * *

Though she left earlier than usual, Kumiko still arrived five minutes late. Unbelievably, all the buses that passed the stop were full. _FULL!_ She snarled incredulously with a huff. In her impatience, she chose to ride through a different station, which led to her walking half of the way to Shirokin. It didn't help that there was a drizzle.

And so the last ten minutes was spent with running, a desperate measure to avoid a tardy arrival. Not that it helped. She climbed up the steps of the school, huffing and breathing wearily.

"Damn, I'm outta shape. I can't believe I'm _this _tired from such a lil jog," she murmured breathily, quite forgetting her condition in the equation. The stitches on her side ached. With a handkerchief, she dabbed off the water and sweat from her hair and face. Her jacket was already a bit damp so she took it off and tied it around her waist. Pulling two strong breaths into her lungs and ignoring the stinging pain, she pushed the door open with her traditional smile and laugh.

"Good morning, everyone!"

Loud cheers of surprise erupted. The reaction was mixed: some seemed surprised, others tried to hide their disappointment, but the atmosphere was generally happy. Though they would rather die than admit it, the class was glad that their teacher was back—as disappointedly flat-chested she may be.

"Yankumi!" cried Noda. "You finally decided to come back."

"Yep! A whole month is just too long to keep me from my beloved students!"

An involuntary shudder passed simultaneously over the student body. They would never really get used to their homeroom teacher's quirky mushiness.

"Oh, by the way, Yankumi, how's your great-great-great-great-grand uncle?" asked Kuma.

"What great-great--?" she trailed obliviously at them. Class 3-4 stared back at her in turn as though she had grown another head or two. Suddenly, it struck her. "_Ooooh, _yeah—I mean, yes! Ahem—uhm—yes, that's right! I was visiting my great-great-great-great-grand uncle. Hehehe." She laughed nervously, cursing herself for stuttering. Who made that alibi anyways?

_Don't worry, ojou! _Came Wakamatsu's confident voice as she remembered that morning. _I made ya an alibi back then! Don't worry bout the details—everything's easy-peasy. _

_Easy-peasy my ass! He is so going to get it later_, fumed Kumiko inwardly. _Damn it, why in the world didn't I think to get the bloody details?_

"He must be really old then," came one student's awed voice from the back. "I mean—a great-great-great-great—"

"Yes, yes," said Yankumi hurriedly, dizzied by the idiocy of "greats" and by that strain on her side. "It's—umm, healthy living, you know. He lives in the mountains. And…he eats a lot of vegetables and—leaves."

_Leaves…?_ They stared again at her, not really knowing what to think and say.

To save face, she waved her hands and added frantically, "You know, leaves…for tea. Yeah. Some sort of leafy...tea."

"Oh." There was a pause. A voice from the back from a student named Masaki asked. "Then why din't ya just say 'tea' then?"

That statement earned the student a stony glare until Kuma asked innocently. "Really? Tea for long life huh? Mama should drink that type."

To Yamaguchi's horror, even Noda nodded seriously. "Yep yep. My gramps should like that, too."

"What typa tea are we talking about, Yankumi?" Minami wanted to know.

_This. Is. Fucked. Up. _They were looking at her expectantly and she gulped. Her mind was starting to go blank. _What I need right now is a good Lying 101 manual! _Without thinking, she blurted the first thing in her mind. "A special type of—uh—oregano tea."

"_Oregano tea?!" _exclaimed Noda with a shudder. The others simply shrugged, knowing that if they tried to imagine that, they would end up in a vomit. When she thought the whole tea topic was over, Inuzuka said. "But isn't oregano tea used for menstrual cycles?"

_Okay! This is it. I hate tea!_ _Great! This is just great! _She agonized inwardly. Thankfully enough, the other students started whacking Inuzuka for his comments—

THWAK! "You fuckin' weirdo! How'dya know it's for the (blush) menses, eh?"

"Shit! Yah must be _gay!" _A gasp of horror and more roars of despair echoed through the room.

"No!" he whined under the riot of students. "My mom uses—"

"HEY! What's wrong with being gay?!"

"FUCK! Who said that?"

"We're doomed!"

The tea business was easily forgotten after that. She shook her head. _This isn't exactly the tearful and elegant comeback that I've been expecting. Not to mention my stitches are aching like mad. It's a good thing Shin isn't here to laugh at me later. _

Shin. The mere thought made her lighter. But there was a feeling of dread at the same time. While she has finally accepted the change in their relationship, there was nothing truly official yet. Indeed, they have reached that point of understanding, he had indicated many times how he wanted to be with her, and though she had frequently tried to reject him before, the recent incident opened her eyes to her feelings for her student. Nevertheless, she still wasn't sure what happens from there. Also, Shin no longer tried to speak to her of that matter, nor did he seem to make any indication of wanting to step forward.

_Is he afraid?_ She wondered. _If so, has he any idea how much more afraid I am?_

Automatically, her eyes swerved to that familiar seat by the window. She could almost imagine Shin sitting there with a tiny quirk of a smile, looking at him with those eyes shining with silent laughter…

She blinked and shook her head. Her head must be playing tricks with her. For a moment—a long moment—she thought she _saw_ Shin _sitting _there. Kumiko gave a deep breath and stared at that place again.

Shin was _really _was there; head bandaged an all, he continued grinning at her amusedly.

"You—you--!" she sputtered, pointing a finger at Shin. _You're not supposed to be here! _She glared at him unbelievingly. Taking another deep steadying breath, she smiled toothily at the calm expression on Shin's face. "Oh, Sawada! What happened to that head of yours?" she asked, a pitch higher than normal.

"Oh! Dincha hear bout Shin's accident, Yankumi?" asked Kuma.

Kumiko cleared her throat to compose herself and raised her brows inquiringly. "Accident?"

"'Course she didn't, yah dimwit," swapped Minami from behind. "She's in the mountains with her great-great-great—whatever, right?"

"Oh, yeah right."

"Our Shin-sama is a hero!" said Ucchi, eyes shining with reverence and excitement. With that, they all prattled details of how Shin supposedly saved a certain "damsel in distress" that he was with.

"We actually saw her there—in the carnival! A _total_ babe!" ranted Minami.

"Long and loose hair with slanted, dark eyes. We didn't get too close so I don't think her boobies were that big—small but firm _breasts_ I bet, _and _a tasty piece o'—" An utterly red-faced Shin threw an elbow over Uchi's face before the litany could be finished. Kumiko, who was torn between pleasure by being cited as a babe and enraged by being verbally molested by no less than her student, was glad that the red-head made him shut up.

Noda sighed. "I knew Shin had it for a taste of girls."

"_Oh? _So, you're interested in good 'ol D.I.D.s huh?" said Kumiko pointedly, brows raised.

"Not really," he shrugged. Then, a small smile played around his lips. "My interests lie elsewhere."

A moment of silent understanding passed between them and butterflies seemed to go around her stomach. _I'm like a giddy school girl. _She thought, both annoyed and pleased with herself.

Unfortunately, the sweet moment died when the freckled teen perched on Shin's shoulder. "Really? Can I have her then—" Another elbow and Uchi retreated to his corner with a pout.

Kumiko noted the ruckus her boys were making, especially the way the interaction between Shin and the others. There was a lot of respect and strong bonds between these boys—it didn't matter that people often segregated Shin from the rest. He earned his place here. He is truly their one leader. Grinning with pride, she thought not for the first time. _He really would make a great boss._

_Stop it! _Rebelled a smaller part of her. _Your relationship may have changed but he is still going to college. He will leave._

_I know. But I can fantasize, right? _Another sharp pain—Kumiko almost fell off balance in surprise. Instead, she leaned onto her table for support, masking this effort by pretending to sheaf through the papers on the table. This tiny shift of movement didn't miss the keen eyes of her red-headed student.

"You've been walking weird, Yamaguchi," murmured Shin when the uproar ended. "Did you _fall_ in the…mountains?" The unreadable expression on his face seemed to grow darker. Kumiko met his eyes challengingly, jaws clenched.

"Really? I didn't notice much," said Kuma.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, Shin, Yankumi does look a bit pale—"

"And you've been sweatin' like a pig on a sticker," added Minami gracelessly.

"And she looks _tired—" _added Inuzuka from nowhere.

"Shut up, weirdo. But you're right," said Uchi. "Anything broken, Yankumi?"

Kumiko glared at all of them. Had they all just turned into detectives overnight? But of course, this was all due to her bratty red-head's too loud observations. Well, at least her kids are obviously worried about her.

_You are sooo going to get it Shin, _she promised mutely at him. Withdrawing her eye contest with him, she waved them aside. "Nonsense, nothing of that sort happened. Believe me," she said dismissively. "Let's start class now—we won't be getting anywhere with this talk. In our free time, we'll get the details of how you saved your pretty little D.I.D. and how I _supposedly_ _fell _off a cliff. Shall we?" The class groaned and, with a satisfactory grin, Yamaguchi scratched an equation on the board.

"Now Sawada, since you're so pert, let's see if that wound of yours affected your ability to function."

* * *

Shin Sawada finally sat down after having to answer the thirteenth equation on the board. All the while, he and Kumiko traded glares. Her irritation with him only swelled as he answered each question without a sweat. Knowing that fully well, Shin chose to scratch the answers with an overconfident smirk and an uncharacteristic flair.

Truth be told, he knew there was a chance that the stubborn female would come to school against the doctor's prescribed resting period. However, her going four weeks earlier than the indicated length was unexpected. After all, her stitches were still too new, and she received a fatal gun wound after all. Her organs should still be recuperating.

Of course, the same could be said in his case—he had a concussion after all. But of course, when Kyou called him up that morning, he had to come. Who else would stop her from straining herself too much?

The redhead leaned back lazily on his chair but his eyes scrutinized her narrowly. Every movement, every sway, every mannerism of hers was evident in his eyes. And he knew, from those tiny pauses, from the way she pressed her lips together, from her obscure leaning towards the table to shuffle some papers, that she was exhausted. It was no wonder she would be—judging from the spattered mud and dirt on the hem of her jogging pants, she had taken the longer route and ran. Not all the way certainly—she wouldn't have made it. Probably half way…

"Yankumi, you fool,"he scolded inaudibly. _What if you open those sutures?_

The bell rang.

"Okay, don't forget to study hard this week—the finals is two weeks from now." She reminded as her students sighed thankfully and went out for a break.

"Hey, Shin—let's go eat somewhere," said Noda.

"You guys go ahead." He watched his friends troop away. The other students received a silent order from Shin; without a word, they left the room.

"You—" he began, making sure to press on the words meaningfully. "—are one hard-headed patient."

She looked up at him, glaring. "Hypocrite."

Shin shrugged as he walked lazily. "Hey, I was having a nice sleep when someone called—"

" 'Someone' being Kyou-san?" groaned Kumiko.

"—and told me how someone snuck out." Only a table separated them now.

Once the papers were neatly bundled, she took the liberty of gazing at him sideways. The intense expression in his eyes hiding behind that bored look excited her, but she wasn't about to say that. "And…?"

And yet she knew what it was exactly that he meant to say. If she told him of her plans, she knew he would point out the practicality of it all, and end up supporting her—coming with her. Yet she didn't. After all, he also needed to rest. She knew he would've wanted to know—he even visited the day before and she told him nothing!

_Can't you trust me enough to depend on me?_ The look seemed to ask.

Amazingly enough, after all they have been through, the answer still eluded her. This, too, was another problem between them. Both of them were sharply aware of her independence, and how it sometimes brought her harm.

Eyes on the table, he murmured absently at her. "We can be strong together—why insist on being strong alone?" The words brought a pang of guilt in her heart. The questions she thought had quieted down before disturbed her again. She didn't know how to answer him.

Shin sighed at her silence. Since it was getting nowhere, he decided to change the topic. Softly, he asked the first thing he had originally wanted to ask her that day.

"Are you okay?" The answer to this was obvious, but Shin knew her enough to know that stating it so forwardly would be received by her accusatorily.

She blinked and answered to quickly. "Of course I am!"

The redhead sighed. "You're not a good liar you know."

"I may not be," she said with a scoff. "But I can handle it, really."

"You as good as admitted that you aren't fine."

Kumiko stammered. "What I _mean_ is—"

"Whatever." he murmured looking away.

The disappointed look on his face reached her and the puzzle of her mind seemed to come together piece by piece.

They walked out of the classroom; her leading him. The slight swagger in her walk was unmistakable to his keen observations. He itched to grab her elbow to assist her but knew that she would detest it. No matter what they've both been through, or the changes in their relationship, she was still too independent and stubborn to ask for help. Also, people might—_will_—talk once they see how intimate his association with her is. He couldn't help her if it would cause trouble to her reputation.

_But_, he thought, _if she asks me to stay, I always would. _Knowing she wouldn't, he pushed his hands deep into his pockets, fisting them in frustration.

"I'll be going this way," declared Kumiko.

"Hn. 'K."

As Shin turned to walk the opposite direction, the unexpected occurred. A hand pulled his wrist, removing the stuffed fist in his pocket. With widened eyes, he looked down at her with surprise (_Is she actually blushing?). _

"Shin," she said in a voice so soft it was almost inaudible. "Walk with me."

Her eyes were on the floor. Shin noted that it was obviously a huge step for her. The fact that she tried to overcome her own boundaries just to reach him overwhelmed him. Feeling a small flush of pleasure and embarrassment rising in his own cheeks, Sawada Shin fought himself from stammering incoherently and nodded dumbly.

She let go of his hand. Comfortably, they walked side by side in the corridors, hardly aware of the world around them.

* * *

The day passed swiftly enough. Soon, teacher and student were sitting on the rooftop once again. It was their favorite spot and, after all, everyone has gone home.

"Shouldn't I be sending you home now?" Shin suggested as the last specks of sunlight fell from the horizon. They were sitting side by side, eating some snacks which they had brought; a staple of sugared doughnuts and muffins which she insisted on buying and a couple of beer in case it got too cold.

Kumiko waved a doughnut wielding hand aside. "Let's stay here a bit longer. I always wanted to see the night sky from here."

"You'll get cold."

"Don't worry 'bout it."

Kumiko was starting to get exasperated with her boyfriend—student. A smile flew into her face and she was tempted to giggle. Boyfriend. Yes, he _is _her boyfriend, no sense denying it now. That thought would take getting used to.

"You're stitches will hurt again if you get too cold," he pointed out superiorly.

Whether it was due to the beer or the sweets she consumed, her thoughts made her feel extra devious; Kumiko leaned towards him until her mouth toughed his right ear and whispered: "You could always keep me warm."

Shin was so surprised and flushed he fell on his elbows. Her laughter rang through the night. Shin was so glad that the dimness prevented her from seeing how red he was—or notice that she had unwittingly caused him an arousal. He breathed in and out slowly until the excitement died down.

"Hahahahaha—ow!" she clenched her stomach torn between laughing hysterically and caution instead her stitches fell open due to excessive hilarity.

"Serves you right."

"I _always _wanted to do that—damn, that was funny."

"I don't know what's so funny 'bout that," glared Shin, pride still not recovered. "That was the corniest thing I ever heard you say." _And the sexiest. _He mentally added but dared not say aloud. When she laughed again, he commented. "You had too much beer."

Kumiko stuck his tongue out at him. "Unlike you, I have a good hold on my beer."

"Is that true or just empty bragging?" said Shin with a smirk.

"Of course it's true!"

"If you really do have a fine hold, you wouldn't laugh so much, and you wouldn't say weird stuff."

"I always laugh like that and I always say "weird stuff"—well, at least to your opinion."

It was his turn to be devious. "And if you really aren't drunk or tipsy at least, you would be able to evade this—" he pounced on her, pinning her arms on the ground, her hips trapped between his bent legs. "Gotcha!"

"You cheated!" she pouted up at him.

"'Course not! Who was it who always harped about being on guard?"

"I never "harp about being on guard"! You're probably drunk, too."

"Got you again. "Too" means you're drunk, too."

"You said, "too" too, smartass!"

They laughed simultaneously at the weirdness of it all. When their laughter paved way to silence, Kumiko spoke softly. "Shin?"

"Hm?"

"You're still on top of me."

His eyes flashed down at her through the darkness. "I know."

Without warning, their lips collided fiercely. Kumiko's body seemed to be filled with strange energy as he lifted her off the ground into his lap. She scissored her legs around his torso, clawing his back frantically. _Hormones! _She thought blearily. _This has got to be hormones!_

Shin's mind was consumed by nothing but her; her lips, her tongue rolling with his, her hair tangled in his fingers, her body pressed firmly against his. He wanted nothing more than to touch her, kiss her, hold her—have her. He pulled out of her needy kiss and buried his mouth into the crook of her neck. When he nipped her lightly eliciting a groan, he—

Kumiko suddenly placed a hand on his chest, pushing lightly off him. A very surprised expression was on her face.

"Was that—was that—"

Knowing full well what she meant, he blushed scarlet and nodded, extremely glad that it was dark not to see—though apparently not dark enough to prevent her from feeling _that. _

Too shocked to even leave his lap, even with the shocking "protrusion", she shrieked. "You went _hard_ on me?!"

Her statement sounded so profound that Shin wanted the ground to swallow him whole. As it was, she _was _still on wrapped around him it was impossible to get away. He gave him the glare of a man with an extremely frustrated libido. "We were kissing. It _happens_." He said in the most matter-of-fact voice that he could muster.

Kumiko was ominously silent, thinking furiously. He could easily perceive her face scrunched in concentration—_so pretty…._

It didn't help his situation one bit.

"I suppose this is way past sex education lectures..."

"Yankumi!" Shin couldn't believe himself—he almost sounded whiney. Well, who in his situation wouldn't?

"Do you want to have sex with me?"

Shin stared at her, blushing for the umpteenth time that night. "Do I have to answer that?"

"Just answer me, you ass!"

He tried to control his breathing—control his lesser than human instincts. She was reducing him to _this _state. There's nothing left but to be honest. Meeting her bright eyes, he answered. "Yes. I do."

She bit her lower lip. Shin, knowing full well the state of her mind, added before she could speak again. "I know that you are my teacher…I know I'm not supposed to cross the boundaries. But I couldn't help it. Now I have crossed—I want to make you fully mine." Kumiko blushed at his last words. Sighing softly, he leaned forward until his forehead was on hers. "But I decided that I won't go further until I graduate. If you ask me to, I won't even try to kiss or touch you again until that time even though I want you so much. I'll wait—just so I could be the man that you deserve."

The night was so still and warm—so much that even the minute particles of dust failed to move at the lack of a breeze. It seemed to match the exact feeling in Shin's heart—the expectant breathless waiting. He was blushing furiously, his heart hurt from too much thudding. He could feel hers thudding too the way he knew she felt his.

Slowly, slowly, Kumiko wrapped both arms around him again in a very needy hug—her face, wet from silent tears, was pressed against his in a very tender kiss. When she released him, she looked up at the sky and murmured softly, "Look! The stars are beautiful tonight."

He followed her look and smiled at her. "Yeah. So pretty."

The ojou giggled with a flush of pleasure. In a serious tone, she spoke, "Sawada Shin, I don't know how you do it—read my mind, understand my intentions, listen to my whining. I pushed you off so many times but you stayed and took care of me. I don't know if I deserve it—but I am lucky. I may be your teacher—but I can't pretend to feel only like a teacher to you anymore, just as you can't pretend to be just a student. I'm honestly afraid where we go from here. But when I think it over…when I'm with you—things are better. I want it this way, too. The only thing I'm sure about now is…us." She laughed nervously, and punched his chest lightly. "So, thank you—I don't feel that it's right by you to do it with you…yet."

"Meaning we will." He said with a smirk.

"Meaning we _might_." She joined pointedly.

Shin laid her down on the ground and leaned over her. "Really? Let's see then who has far better control."

Her evil smile made him shiver with pleasure. "You will lose."

* * *

_TO those who wonder about Shinohara, he comes back in the epilogue. I just thought it wouldn't be nice of him to interrupt while their being so sweet. So, whaddya think?_

_Nincompoop?_

_Preposterous?_

_Or simply nil?_

_Please review! THankies!_


	16. When You are Almost There

**First of all, I am truly sorry for the VERY LONG delay in updates. I think it took me around 2 years or so. **People are probably already tired of this story, but I will wrap it up neatly in the epilogue which will come after this chapter. Suffice to say, a LOT of things happened to me recently. And for a while, I lost my yearning to write anything (yes, I sometimes indulge in independent writing). I was just soooo stressed out. And burned out...by a lot of things. (sigh)

So, for those still reading this, here's the latest update. As usual, if there are any typos, errors or what-not, you can inform me via comment. I'll be editing this a bit later...so sleepy.

Enjoy!

**When You are Almost There**

The sendaime took the ceramic cup from the low table, pressed it a moment against his dry lips contemplatively before taking one long sip. Despite his age, his movements have always been full of elegance and grace.

"What have you decided," he said authoritatively after some time. "Sawada Shin?"

The young redhead who sat opposite him gazed directly into him as he replied. "The ojou and I have talked it over—and I told her I decided to go to college after graduation."

Kuroda smiled. "A wise choice. I heard you got accepted into Tokyo University. I am impressed—though I knew you would do well."

Shin flushed with pleasure at this rare compliment. "Thank you, sir."

They sat in comfortable silence; the elder sipping tea peacefully while the younger traced the mouth of the teacup held so tightly in his hands. Finally, he took one careful sip of the tea before soundlessly replacing it back on the table. When Kuroda sensed the tension die from the Young Master's form, he smirked to himself. The time for waiting has ended.

Flattening both palms on the floor, Sawada Shin leaned forward and prostrated himself before the sendaime. "Kumichou, you and Yamaguchi-sensei has treated me as part of your family. You have always supported me, loved me and respected me for what I am even when my own family could not. This family has changed me so much. A simple thank you is not enough to show my gratitude."

"I see my granddaughter's sentimentality has finally rubbed into you, eh," chuckled the old man, quite touched by the sincere words. "You've done a lot for this family, too—you've taken care of our little ojou. It is I—in behalf of our clan—who has to thank you."

"Then please forgive me for the impudence of my next words—I would like to ask your permission to officially court Yamaguchi-sensei after graduation." The redhead heard only silence after his words—he immediately sensed that he had to go on, so he ploughed forward. "I know it is considered inappropriate by a lot of people—she is my teacher, and aside from that, I am younger than her by six years. I am the son of the Chief Inspector while she is Kuroda's ojou. But..." Shin looked up, boldly looking into Kuroda's perceptive gaze. "But I love your granddaughter. So please...I ask for your blessing!"

A beam of afternoon light entered through the gap in the sliding panels. In the brightness, it was impossible to discern the expression on Kuroda's face. But Shin did not look away. His heart seemed to ram painfully against his chest cage. He had said the words he had long wanted to say to the world. Nothing mattered now—there was only one thing he wanted to hear...

Kuroda laughed. Shin blinked. The light faded as clouds lazily passed overhead. Blinking several times, Shin stared at the man laughing so heartily in front of him he seemed ten years younger.

When his laughter passed, Ryuiichirou Kuroda shook his head and smirked. "Took you long enough."

* * *

Kumiko Yamaguchi sighed as she slid slowly into the bathtub. The water, gloriously hot, was a salve for her aching body. Of course it would ache, she growled to herself and dived her head under the soapy water. Any idiot who would challenge Ooshima Kyoutarou would not escape unscathed. After ten full seconds, she resurfaced and took a deep breath—the scented soaps Fujiyama gave for her last Christmas were pretty good—and nostalgically placed a hand on her tender cheekbones. The fact that she was thrashed didn't mean that she lost, though, and for that, she allowed herself to grin.

She knew however, that had she lost, Kyou would have been sorely disappointed in his pupil...

* * *

"_Yes!" she grunted as she stretched her body. She had just finished checking the last of the documents regarding her students. For each one of her "babies", whether they chose to proceed to college or apply for jobs, she gave positive feedbacks and recommendations on their records. She smiled fondly. They were all grown up. And soon—next week, specifically—they would be leaving her. _

_Gingerly, she stood up and walked out of the thresholds, into the garden, savoring the fresh afternoon scent. She smiled happily. Next week, she would be watching her first batch of students walk out of the school and out into the world. They'd be sure to experience much more, to have both hardships and trials, and yet there would be great times, too. And whenever they meet up for reunions, they'd reminisce and talk about the old days, highschool days, when life was simpler and definitely fantastic. _

_Simpler? She smirked. Not really. Perhaps "different" was the right term. Because, certainly, things were not simple for one certain red-head and his group. Particularly, the red-head..._

_What could he be doing now?_

_Kumiko sighed, waving his thoughts away. She was thinking of him too much, much like a love-sick idiot. But how could she not when they were almost always together recently? She sighed again._

"_Women, when they're in love, sigh a lot." came a gruff voice from behind her._

_She raised her brows as she turned to see the Kyou's friendly face; it was contorted into a very amused grin. "Oh. So you're a woman-expert now, eh, Kyou-chan?"_

_Kyou glared at her and she grinned; she knew he hated being patronized and teased as "Kyou-chan" because it was not "good for his image." _

"_Well, of course I am," he said, pointedly ignoring the taunt. "Modesty aside (Yankumi stifled a giggle), I am pretty good with women—even young high schoolers fall for me." And he laughed robustly._

"_Ha. High schoolers, or were you just patronizing cosplay bars?"_

"_Hey, there're lotsa high schoolers on cosplay bars—"_

"_Kyou-chan—" she growled in warning._

"_Okay, okay. I know—you're a teacher now and you don't think its okay for you to hear me dating them high schoolers—but they sure know a good deal of pump—" Another glare from her shut him up._

_They fell into comfortable silence. _

"_That's the third one," commented Kyou when Kumiko sighed again._

"_Well, I can't help it," she admitted. "There are a lot of things going on in my mind."_

"_Like?"_

"_Hmph. You do know that my students're graduating. They a pretty tough buncha punks and I'm kinda worried and happy for them at the same time, you know?" She breathed deeply and looked up at the horizon with a small smile on her lips. "I guess, with you takin' care of me like I was your young 'un—you prol'y felt the same when I graduated from high school and college, huh?"_

_Kyou simply grunted. Both knew the answer. _

"_I guess...I haven't thanked you for everything." She felt her eyes stinging—gods, why did she have to be so damn emotional? Chin trembling, she murmured. "So, thank you, Kyou-san. For worrying for me, for teaching me how to be strong, for raising me alongside Grandpa and the others, for loving me as your own daughter. Thank you." _

_She was answered by a sniff. When she turned to him, Kyou was already sobbing his eyes out; she had to laugh. Of course, she'd be emotional—she had to be with Kyou-san taking care of her!_

_The man enveloped her in a tight hug. "You're so grown-up, ojou. I'm proud of yah, you know that, neh?" _

"_Ou," she pulled back and grinned. "You're such a baby, Kyou-san."_

"_Hmph. A man only becomes a real man when they learn to show their emotions."_

_She rolled her eyes at him and stretched her arms with a groan. "Oh, wow...my arms are kinda stiff. Been a while since I had some exercise. Maaaan." She rolled her jaw and rotated her head in his direction, eyes sparkling with mischief. "I need a good spar."_

_Ooshima Kyoutarou grinned wolfishly, an equal gleam in his eye. "That so, ojou?"_

_Her foot suddenly came from nowhere; on reflex, Kyou blocked it with his right arm before promptly jumping two, three steps back. Straightening, the Young Chief grinned again. "Heheh. Winner gets to boss the loser. Deal?"_

_Shaking back her locks, Kumiko Yamaguchi flexed her arms and positioned herself in the fighting stance. "Ou!"_

_

* * *

_

Previously, she had been complaining of muscles stiff from lack of exersion; now her muscles were still stiff from too much of it. But it was a pleasing kind of pain, especially since she enjoyed sparring with Kyou; the reward was just a little bonus. She slid a little lower in the tub until her mouth was practically below the bubbly surface.

_Now, what exactly should I ask Kyou-san to do for me?_

The memory of a certain blondie jumped into her vision and she grinned. Yes, it should be very interesting how those two would turn out...

"_Teo torriatte konomama iko—_"

She was abruptly pulled out of her plot bunnies. It was her cellphone ringing; she had placed it above the bathroom counter beside the tub.

The ringing continued. She sighed knowing who it was calling her; after all, had not she assigned that particular tune to _that certain someone_? She reached for the phone, set it on loud speaker and leaned back comfortably in one corner of the tub.

"Hello, Sawada Shin."

"Hello, Yankumi." The smile that she had been trying to hold back reached its full length across her mouth. Gods, she was turning into such a mushy idiot.

"Hmmm," she reached out to lather her right leg, memories of him and their "activities" on the school rooftop wantonly flashing in her mind's eye. Not that they had sex. She flushed at the idea. No, they definitely won't be having sex...at least not until after graduation.

She was so lost in thought that she was unaware that she remained silent for a whole minute. But it was not an uncomfortable silence. Shin, on his part, seemed to be having his share of reminisces.

"You taking a bath, Yankumi?"

"Yea—how the heck did'ya know I'm taking a bath?" she shrieked, standing up wildly and peering at the windows for any sign of the redhead.

"Relax, fool. I wasn't peeping on you! Kyou-san told me...anyways, I can hear you splashing around."

"Ohh," she relaxed again. How foolish of her indeed...but then again, if it was Shin who saw her like this...

_Get your thoughts out of the gutter, you hormonal teacher._

"I didn't know you were coming," she replied accusingly.

She could hear him grin on the other end. "It was supposed to be a surprise. Besides, I had a talk with your grandfather."

"Oh," she was suddenly nervous. "Did he—did he..."

"No," he answered as though reading her mind. Then, in a softer voice. "Your grandpa is a really good man."

"Yes, he is," Relief coated her voice and she continued lathering the rest of her body. "Anyways, why did you call me? I mean, you must be lurking around in our garden—couldn't you just ask them where I am and wait for me to finish?"

"'Lurking around'? You make me sound like a stalker…"

She rolled her eyes and said rather impatiently, "Well?"

Silence. Then, "Well, nothing. I just thought I wanted to hear you talk, 's all."

Her heartbeat sped a little and her cheeks warmed. "You...called because you missed my voice?"

"NO! Don't be silly," he rebutted sheepishly. And suddenly, she knew it was the truth, and laughed.

"Oh, c'mon, Shin," she teased. "You don't have to be embarrassed. It's natural for you to miss me...after all, aren't I your sweet and beloved teacher?"

Kumiko felt rather than heard him smirk. "Well, not for long."

The suddenly low intonation of his voice and its slightly rough tone made her shiver slightly; there was a shift in her belly and she closed her eyes, biting back a groan. How strange that, in a span of months, she had jumped from obviously repulsing her attraction for him to openly acknowledging it. At that very moment, Kumiko wanted so very much to have him in that same tub with him...

_Gosh, I really have to control these urges._ She took a deep breath to still the whirr of emotions (and hormones) that she was still yet to get used to. And that did manage to control it somehow. She smiled to herself, and started braiding her hair absently.

"So…you eating here tonight?"

"Is that an invitation?"

She snorted. "It's a question. Duh, you're family enough—you don't need an invitation." She could almost see him grin and warm at the implications of this. "Anyways, I'll be done soon enough. Why don't you help Tetsu prep up for dinner?"

"I'll see what I can do." With that, the call was dropped and Kumiko stood up, dripping water incessantly on the tiles as she stepped out. A towel was hastily wrapped around her body as she grinned happily in anticipation of the night. Should they play chess or watch more _Wife of the Yakuza _reruns? They could probably squeeze a sparring session before dinner, too, since she was up to it.

Abrupt knocking pulled her once again from her daydreams. "That you Kyou-san?" Her thoughts were full of fun things for the evening that she didn't think that it was curious that there was no reply at all. Shrugging, she pulled on her female briefs and a sports bra and resumed talking, taking the silence of an optimistic yes. "I still haven't thought of your penalty, if that's what you're worried of." Still no answer. Impatiently, she threw on the first things she could reach from her closet, which was a sleeveless shirt (with a Superman imprint) with a matching pair of shorts.

The person at her door was the last person she expected. An uncertain feeling grappled at her throat as she looked up apprehensively at the familiar face which beheld the mysterious set of eyes she once fell in love with.

* * *

She was, as always, a beauty to beheld. In the beginning, he had not felt this way; she was younger when they first met after all—a scrawny teenager with a loud mouth and a burning stare which spelled anything less than attractive. But through the years, he watched her, observed her during the brief business meetings with her family which eventually expanded into unexpected bonding sessions and dinners. He watched her grow and bloom from spirited and idealistic youth to the brave and strong woman she was now. And he never told her, not once, how wonderfully she had grown, how _beautiful_ she was, not just physically but in every aspect. Sure there were prettier women. But beauty was always relative to the beholder and to him, she was everything he knew he ever wanted and needed. Still, in all these years, he never hinted what he felt was inappropriate to address, believing he would do her no good, believing that the revelation of such emotions would mean the breach of the precious trust the sendaime had entrusted him, thinking to his very depths that a man of uncertain connections was unworthy to be her partner.

Yes, Shinohara was indeed, in more ways than one, an idiot. And he knew that. He let his chances come and go, ignored the starry-eyed looks Kumiko was prone to give him, paid no heed to the hints Kyou gave him, failed to meet the analyzing yet approving gaze the boss gave him whenever the conversation swerved to his granddaughter. Maybe he was afraid. Maybe he was just conceited enough, thinking that perhaps her feelings would remain intact, until he was ready to face his. But it was too late, too late. For only when he was starting to be in terms with his own self, his own past, his own feelings, did he realize that her own feelings had already gone a hundred steps away from him, towards a certain redhead. It was then that he was forced to step in action—a proposal, hastily done which did not fully express his full emotions and intent but it was necessary, to ensure his place beside her forever and to keep that young boy in his place.

At least that's what he thought.

And now here he was, in front of her bedroom door. He did not really intend to talk to her; originally, he had intended to talk to the boss about some matters but he caught the sight of Shin talking with the old man and he could only guess about what. So he wandered for a while in the garden, until his thoughts returned to her and, without sparing himself another thought, he found himself standing there, knocking. Impulsiveness, a trait he did not own, described him as of the moment, but he no longer cared.

He could hear her talking, mistaking him for Kyou. He could have fled if he wanted to and yet he could not. Not anymore.

Shinohara came here for a purpose and he was determined to fulfil it. The door opened to reveal Kumiko, her cheerful grin slowly transforming into a surprised "o". Her hair, uncombed and prepped into a messy braid, was wet—she must've just come out from the shower. He breathed in her scent and suppressed a sigh which would give away what he was feeling. He has not spoken to her again since she that time she woke in the hospital. Back then, he had personally delivered her to the comatose Sawada and since then there was no communication. However, he did visit her when she was asleep and each time, he made sure to leave fresh roses and chocolates at her bedside. But those things weren't what she really wanted at all. From the flash he saw lingering in her eyes, he knew he had hurt her a lot by not visiting her again. And yet there was nothing else to be done...so far, he knew that all he had done was hurt her by being inattentive and by not being there by her side. He remembered how she looked when he arrived at the hospital then—pale and cold to the touch; he thought she would die and he knew that whatever the result, it was his fault for not being there by her side when she needed him to be there. _If only…_but he could not turn back time. He was simply not there.

In the end, a boy who has proven himself to be a man usurped him from the place he never officially occupied. And took over.

All these passed quickly enough in Shinohara's head—hadn't he contemplated this enough? He watched her struggle before him and decided quickly.

In the end, he had to hurt her again to make her truly happy…

* * *

Tetsu lifted the hotpot and placed it in the middle of the wide kotatsu with not so much as a grunt. For a moment, Shin envied the man's bulky muscles and mused whether he could someday transform his own lithe ones into such.

_Or maybe not exactly as buff…not exactly fitting, _he pondered silently. _But Yankumi…I wonder what she would think of that?_ A sudden image of Kumiko's blushing and drooling face popped into his mind's vision; it was really hard to forget her expression when she saw him wear a fundoshi. _Maybe I'll see that again if I buff up…or something, _he thought wryly whilst flexing his arm absently.

"Eh, Young Master…?" Shin looked up into Wakamatsu's confused face and suddenly realized that he had been smiling toothily to himself. _Must've seemed creepy. God, Yankumi's weird quirks are getting to me. _He coughed awkwardly and tried to look as poker-faced as possible.

"Sorry bout that. I just remembered something…funny."

"Oh…okay, then. Why dontcha go tell ojou dinner's ready, eh?" said Tetsu.

Shin assented and sighed, glad that Tetsu bought his futile excuses. Now all he had to do was locate ojou, eat dinner with them...of course she might insist over a few _Wife of the Yakuza_ reruns, and then he could tell her about his conversation with his grandpa, perhaps over a bottle of sake and a game of chess. The place was pretty big though and it took a while before he managed to find her room—he's never been there before after all and he had never asked where it was. He knew though that it was on the second floor…

* * *

Kumiko coughed once and forced her mouth and her vocal muscles to form the name which used to send warm sensations all over her body.

"Shinohara-sensei…What are you—I mean, is there something you need from me?" her voice unexpectedly came out as a squeak and she cursed herself.

"I just…wanted to see if you're all right."

"I am. Well," she hesitated before muttering with slight bitterness she didn't know she felt. "If you had visited more—but of course, you had a schedule to keep and I was probably not included." Kumiko saw him wince lightly and she shook her head in self-disgust. Such a childish outburst was not characteristic of her at all. She had always known that he had work, he had priorities. And had she not always given way? She would always invite him and he would always decline; she always understood. So why was she still getting hurt over something so simple?

_I guess, _she thought sadly, _the people you care for will always be the ones with the power to hurt you more. _

She looked up into his eyes and was surprised to see a small flicker of anguish there. Kumiko blinked twice and when she looked again, it was no longer there; disappointment rushed over her. Before she could speak again, Shinohara cupped her face with both hands and soundlessly, and thoroughly, kissed her.

The bold move stunned her to the point of incoherence. But there was no rush of emotion and feeling…nothing but apathy. When her mind returned to a functional state she slowly pulled away from the kiss, gently took the hands cupping her face pulled both away from her.

When she could finally control her breathing she whispered. "Shinohara-sensei, I'm sorry."

He smiled wryly, "No, you're not." And at that, Kumiko lifted her gaze to meet his. "And you really don't need to be, at all. This is my farewell."

"What!" she spluttered immediately. "Wh-where are you going?"

"That's no longer important. You should not concern yourself with me anymore."

"B-but—Shinohara-sensei!" She grabbed the hands that she had pushed away earlier, squeezing them in a vice grip. "Don't, please! No matter what—you're family. You're one of us. You—"

Shinohara shook his head. "I am family…but I'm not one of you." His words sucker-punched her, whooshing the air out of her lungs. He went on, eyes suddenly hard. "I am a lawyer. What I am always is on the side of the law and of the client. I have…already paid my debts to your grandfather and to your family. I need to finally do what I really want to do."

When she spoke, the words struggled out of her. "So—so you never…never really—"

Shinohara sighed and turned his back on her. His eyes widened and the name he murmured jolted Kumiko from her haze of sorrow. "Sawada Shin…"

She edged and saw that Shin was indeed standing there, his fists clenched deeply into his pockets. For a moment, she fidgeted. Had he seen Shinohara kiss her?

Without warning, Shin slugged the older man's jaw, causing him to fall abruptly to the ground.

"Shinohara-sensei!" She was immediately at the fallen man's side; his jaw was clearly bruised, spreading over the lower lip into an unpleasant split. "Sawada—what did you think you were—"

"It's back to 'Sawada'…again." Alarm bells seemed to ring around her as the dark, furious expression on the redhead's face brought about crude realization.

"No—no! It's not what you think…" And without sparing her another glance, he left. "Shin!" she shouted frantically. Her mind debated whether to leave the man who used to be her knight in shining armor or to run after Shin.

"Follow him." Shinohara said as he wiped his bleeding lip on his sleeve, blemishing his immaculate shirt.

She immediately protested. "But you're—"

"I can handle this. We can still continue this conversation later, or some other time. Go after him and explain. And no 'but's'," he added when she mouthed another protest.

Kumiko squeezed his arm and hesitated. She didn't want to leave him in this state at all, not when nothing was resolved yet. He saw the battling emotions on her face and asked. "You love him?"

"I—" she met his eyes earnestly. "I think I do. Shinohara-sensei—do you think badly of it?" She couldn't resist it. Somehow, she needed this—his approval, his blessing. Because no matter what he said or how he hurt her, _he was still family_.

"The young ones love foolishly." Was his only answer; he refused to be swayed by the guilt her eyes burned in him but he had to do this.

Kumiko Yamaguchi's heart broke once again, but it finally had enough of him. Her hand lifted and connected to his jaw in a slap so powerful it was almost a punch. And with that, she exited.

Shinohara sighed, rubbed his new sore, and adjusted his position slightly on the floor. "I guess I deserved that."

"Fuckin' A, you did," came a husky voice from the adjacent corridor. Ooshima Kyoutaro treaded the wooden floors slowly until he stood right in front of the fallen man. "If I were Shin, I'dve given you more 'an a slug."

"Hmph. So you planning to beat me to pulp, too? Sorry, but I don't regret I word I said to ojou." Kyou-san gave him no answer; instead he took the guy's arm and helped him to his feet. With that, the scar-faced man went down the stairwell and proceeded to sit down by the porch; Shinohara followed suite.

In the still of the night, he muttered. "I don' have to beat an already fallen man." Kyou-san took out a cigarette, lighted it, and took a long drag which he released in a sigh. "Ya fool. The only person who's dyin' from any of this is you. Why'd ya do it?"

It was Shinohara's turn to have no answer. Kyou-san silently offered him a cigarette and the lawyer took it without a word and mimicked Kyou-san's earlier motions.

"You didn't try." There was still no answer, and he added whilst flicking ash onto the grounf. "You don't deserve her."

The lawyer quickly finished the cigarette in a few drags before chuckling. "I know."

The older man grunted. "O well. Guess we better go join them for dinner now."

"I don't think it's—"

"Listen. You're one of us, pure n' simple, and you can't escape that no more. So stop all that bullshit crap that you know ain't true. You're family, as ojou said. Or don't you agree?" With that, Kyou threw the cigarette butt on the ground, stepped on it, and went inside. Shinohara smiled wryly and, after a while, followed the man inside.

* * *

Sawada Shin arrived fairly quickly at his apartment; he hardly even remembered how he really got back. All he knew was that he was angry, very angry. The lawyer bastard kissed her. Yes, he did listen to the succeeding conversation and understood that he wanted to settle things and leave her. But why in that manner? Why kiss her before doing all that, too?

His reaction was too late. Rather, he simply did not know what to do. Even though it has been [somewhat] established that they had feelings for each other, there was no declaration of exclusivity. So he waited, to see what she would do. And he was pleased, in a way, that she pulled away from him. And yet why, when he finally did step in, did she still go to the bastard? Shinohara's words was surely aimed to hurt her. Yet she still went back to him—and he was suddenly back to 'Sawada'…

"Like a damn stranger," he fumed. He knew it was childish of him. But he couldn't help it. His chest was hurting. His mind replayed the kiss again and again to torture him.

He went to the refrigerator, pulled out a can of beer, tore of the lid and finished it in a single drought. He did the same to another. Then he sat down hard on the mattress. A loud rap on his door pulled him from his angry musings, and then there was her voice. "Shin—open up. It's me."

He debated telling her to go away and decided that it would be the lamer choice so he chose to remain silent.

"I know you're in there. I swear, if you don't grow up and open this damn door, I will break it off the hinges."

At that, the redhead winced; she would surely live up to the threat if he didn't comply. For a moment, he considered jumping out his window and escape through the fire escape. But her next words reached him:

"Please. Shin. Don't go."

He sighed. How did she know? With that, he lifted himself off the bed and opened the door. Her appearance surprised him; her hair was still a tangled mess of slightly wet braids, and the fact that she was packaged in a Superman shirt matching teeny shorts certainly did not merit public appreciation. His anger mellowed somewhat at the expression on her face and yet he couldn't without the blistering tone. "What?"

With that, the worried expression on her face became hard; she side-stepped him, went inside the apartment and slammed the door shut behind him. Perhaps it was the slight alcohol, or the fury still welling in him, but he didn't step back from her.

"Look—don't act like some injured kid," she began. "If you've been there long enough, you'd have known that he was withdrawing the proposal."

"Really, huh? Didn't know that kissing was part of the deal," he said.

"So…so you were there long enough," she murmured to herself, confirming what she already realized. Her face and tone softened again. "Then you must understand what happened! But why didn't you confront him while he was kissing me?"

"Oh, I dunno," said Shin, trying to sound offhand and unconcerned. Dammit. He was losing it. He could feel his soul shaking, little green-eyed monsters teasing, as he muttered and gave in. "You seemed like you were happy 'bout it."

That stung. And yet she knew that he regretted saying it, knew as his face transformed from deep anger to remorse. And yet it still stung, that he didn't believe in her, in them.

Did she deserve this? Part of her answered yes. Had not she always been inconsistent with him? Her fickleness had lead to this after all. But is he still afraid that after all that they've been through she would still choose Shinohara? Hadn't she clarified her feelings enough for him already?

Unwanted tears threatened to spill from her eyes. G_od, I'm such a cry baby! But it hurts. First Shinohara leaving literally…I don't want Shin to act like this, too—_

Shin sighed. He knew what she was thinking now and he couldn't blame her for the direction her thoughts were running. He didn't really doubt her, not really but…

Slowly, he reached out and pulled her securely into his arms. She didn't resist but remained stiff. Shin rubbed that sensitive part of her back and felt her shiver and relax against him. "I was jealous." His words came out without warning. Yankumi, his precious Yankumi, looked up at him in surprise.

"He's a lawyer graduated from Tokyo U, smart, respected. He's been with your family for more than five years already. And you loved him that long, too. Idolized him more like. Still. Best of all, he's older than you…basically, he's the perfect guy you've been moping over." Shin shook his head, ashamed of admitting his insecurities even to this one person—especially this _one person_. "I wouldn't be surprised if you return to him."

Kumiko pressed her forehead against his shoulder the whole time, understanding what he meant. She understood just how much it cost him to say these things to her. But it's time she made him really understand how things stood in her mind now, and who she really wanted. "Shin. Kiss me."

His eyes burrowed the top of her head until she looked up to meet his heated gaze. "See, there's only one person I want to kiss me. And it isn't Shinohara."

When he still didn't move, Kumiko did a bold thing: she placed her hand on the nape of his neck and pulled him down to meet her. Her lips met his, lightly, like wings flapping gently, and then resting. And nipped his lower lip, to get his attention. And whispered. "It's you that I want."

The spark of response was almost immediate as he fully reciprocated her kiss. His hand, previously rubbing the center of her back, pressed her to him earnestly, the other riding up through her tangled mess of hair. Her body was a mess of sensations, each movement shell-shocking her brain in unorganized waves of pleasure; so she held on to him, her legs weak and buttery in consistency. She fiercely held onto a handful of red hair, as his mouth fluttered from her mouth to her forehead, to her cheeks, lingering back to her mouth, leaving a trail of electric sensations each better than the last. And his mouth travelled downwards—to her chin, to her throat, and to the crook of her neck where he grazed his teeth onto that healthy patch of skin. And sank his teeth gently to nip and suck the area.

That elicited a strange sound from her throat which Shin liked. Very much. He went slightly south, mouth meeting with the cotton of her shirt. But he could still taste her. He nipped gently again, and she made that throaty sound again. At the back of Shin's head, he knew they should stop now. But he didn't want to. He felt possessed. She was grinding her body against now, and he wondered if she knew just what she was doing to him—

But he knew he had to be the voice of reason, soon. After all, he promised to wait until after graduation. He promised he would always wait.

_Now or never._

With one last kiss over the mouth, he slowly peeled himself from her and breathed deeply and slowly to normalize his thudding heartbeat. What he saw in her eyes—clouded with passion and want—made him want to sink back against her. So gripped her in his arms and closed his eyes to murmur. "I don't want you to make any rash decisions tonight. I respect you, so I go by your decisions, always. So, it won't be tonight."

Yankumi sighed and rested her sweaty brow against his neck. She was disappointed, but she knew she'll be far more disappointed in herself later if she went against her own principles due to hormones and rash decisions. It simply wouldn't be right to both of them. So she whispered, earnestly. "Thanks."

"Yankumi—earlier, I'm—"

"Shut up. Don't ruin this moment, okay? We almost made love."

A warm feeling rose in his chest. "Is that what you really feel—making love?"

Realizing what she just said, she plucked embarrassedly at the front of his shirt. "Yeah. Because…there should always be love."

He smirked. "So this means that was a preview."

A little shrug was her answer but he could see the smile lingering at the corners of her mouth. He grinned and pulled her down with him on his bed eliciting a squeal. "Shin!"

"What? I won't do anything, I promise. I'll comb your hair, or something." _To keep my hands busy._ He added silently. She nodded and she put his back against him. Luckily, the comb was within comfortable reach from his bed and he need not move off to get it. He fondly and gently pulled the sticky rubber ties from her tangled hair and ran his hands through several times.

They were comfortably silent as he tended to her hair. And yet Kumiko knew it had to be addressed. "Shin, I need you to listen to me, okay? No, don't stop what you're doing. Just listen." She felt him nod behind her and she sighed. "I don't want you to conflict with Shinohara-sensei…he's practically family. Just like you. I don't want him gone from my life, nor you. I need you both, and love you both. But I no longer love him the way I used to. I love him as part of my family…but you're both my family and my partner. Do you…do you get me?"

"Go on."

She breathed. "What I'm trying to say it…you should not feel this way. Not anymore. I don't want you to feel jealous because I already made my choice. And it's not him…it's you."

His gentle movements on her hair stopped and, just when she was about to complain, his arms wound around her waist and he rested his chin on her shoulder. "You're so corny, Yankumi."

"But you like it." She retorted.

"Nope. Not originally. But I guess I couldn't help liking it." He smiled and she couldn't help but smile, too.

"I'm glad."

They stayed like that for a while, thinking that nothing could disturb their peace, until…

Her stomach grumbled.

Shin couldn't help it; he laughed and Kumiko glared at him pointedly. "I guess even bears get hungry, too."

"Really, who's the bear?"

"You must be a fan of the rhetorical," he smirked and droned noisily albeit intentionally over her unheard response. "Pizza's on me. Go on, order."

She pulled out his phone from his pocket and began calling for pizza delivery. Shin smirked at her; for now there were no worries. And he learned one vital thing:

Making-up and making-out have wonderful results.

* * *

**Okay, was [the ending] too abrupt? **

**Surprising? **

**Or did you wish they did just ended that tension and made the leap?**

**Haha, sorry, not happening in this story. See the "T" rating up there? I still haven't the guts to make a lemon, and I doubt I'll make an effective one anyways. **Tell me what you think? (That is, if anyone is still reading.)


End file.
